The sun was setting beyond the horizon, casting a yellow haze on the buildings all around. Cars sped past them on the city streets as they walked together. Several people did double takes at the band of gryphons walking down the street. Seeing a couple gryphons around this area was not uncommon, given the stadium was nearby, but Aadhya’s immense size was enough for anyone to give a second glance.
Rachel flitted about, chattering nonstop. “Hey Addy. How did you end up here anyways? I mean, your accent and species is like, from really far away. I know the south is great and all, but that’s a pretty big move! Was it just for Gryphball or something more?”
The bearded vulture looked down at her with a faint smile. “Actually, yes. It was for Gryphball. I am from India, and I played in the first gryphball league there. There was an opportunity to come to the states, and so I took it. I have wanted to see the states ever since I was a gryphlet.”
Aadhya turned a corner and continued down the street with the rest of the band in tow. “Not to say, that I do not love my country, for I do. But it was always my dream to visit the states. It was difficult to say goodbye to my friends and family, but I do keep in touch with them. Also, I go back on the holidays to visit.”
She stopped in front of a building off to itself with odd-looking lettering on the sign. Rachel nodded, satisfied with the response. She was too distracted by the smells of food coming from the building to press further.
“This is it,” Aadhya said and led them into the building. A dark-skinned man turned as the bell dinged at the door and smiled with open arms.
“Aadhya! Welcome back!” He said with a heavy accent, The server approached them wearing an apron with a T-shirt of the restaurants logo on the front. He pressed his hands together and bowed before Aadhya as she did the same. “I see you have brought friends!” He turned to the rest of the band and did the same bow.
“Yes. We are all famished from practice today.” Aadhya responded.
The man stood back up and motioned with his hands to a booth at the back of the restaurant. The table was elongated and had massive pillows that look very comfortable for any gryphon to lie on. “Then I shall bring out a platter at once! Please, take the seats.”
Aadhya thanked him and led the others to the table in the back. The rest of the room was garbed in traditional Asian decorations hanging from the walls and ceilings. The lights were dimmed down and a TV in the far end of the restaurant played some sort of foreign game show. The server ran off to the back to shout something at the cook in what Thyra assumed was mandarin while they all took their seats.
Thyra sat comfortably on a soft red cushion in the middle of the table and looked around. There was enough room for every gryphon, and they had plenty of space, even Aadhya who sat at the end of the table. The aromas of spices and cooking meat filled the room as the sounds of sizzling meat erupted from the kitchen.
“I guess you come here often?” Thyra asked to break the silence between the gryphons that were all busy looking around the room and being transfixed on the smell of food.
“Yes. The food here is nice, it is not far from the apartment, and they treat me well,” Aadhya stated as the same waiter walked up once again with a pen and note pad.
“Hello, feathered friends of Aadhya. While the platter is cooking, what would you like to drink?”
“Sweet tea, please!” Rachel chirped without hesitation.
“A water would be fine.” Antonio added.
“Yeah, same for me. I should cut out the Cokes.” Thyra said.
“And would you like your tea, Aadhya?” The server said after he finished jotting down their orders.
“Yes, please. No sugar.” Aadhya nodded to the server as he left in haste.
Rachel drummed her talons along the hard wood table, impatient as always. She focused on the vulture. “So, how old are you Aadhya?”
Aadhya, Antonio, and Thyra all shot a glance at Rachel, surprised by such a sudden question.
“This year I will be fifteen,” the great vulture responded.
Rachel chirped in amusement and perked her small eartufts. “Oh wow! I would have thought much older. But then again I think the oldest gryphons are in there twenties, right?” Rachel asked once again looking around the room to the others.
“Yeah, actually the oldest one is twenty, well, was twenty. The labs opened up at the turn of the century.” Thyra stated and looked down at her talons. Her expression changed, thoughts racing through her mind as she began to think back. Both Aadhya and Antonio both caught Thyra’s mood change but it did not seem to register to Rachel.
“So, how old are you Thyra?” Rachel asked again.
Thyra remained silent for a minute. The cheerful mood started to break as Rachel finally caught on and folded her eartufts back. Her stone gray feathers flattened against her body as she opened her beak to say something. The waiter cut in and placed their drinks before all of them and quickly left, sensing they were discussing something.
“Thyra, I didn’t mean…”
“I just turned nineteen,” Thyra answered back. Everyone was silent once more, staring intently at Thyra. “The first gryphon’s name was Anfang, it’s from a German word that means beginning. Though he was the first gryphon to be created, he was not a complete success. He had, issues,” she said, still staring down at her talons as the others intently watched on.
“I remember meeting him in the labs. He was a redtail, like me, but…” She paused for a moment and swallowed. “He was disfigured. His wings were not completely shaped, and he had spots where feathers would grow through his fur. His beak was… hideous, for lack of a better word. It was half formed, somewhere between the looks of a lion and a beak.
“He couldn’t speak like as I could. He didn’t pick up language very well and he tried to attack me the first couple times we met. But, over time, we became friends. They watched us and observed us. I translated what I could to English and they had us interact every day. He was confused, most of all. He wondered what he was, and why he was always locked away in a single area while I was free to explore.
“At the time, I didn’t know what I was either. I was just, there. Alive. Living day by day. But he didn’t understand that. He was stuck somewhere between being self aware and lost like a feral animal.” Thyra reached for her glass and took a sip of water before continuing.
“The doctors explained to me that he was not well. Mentally or physically. He was always breathing heavy and struggled to walk. But he was alive none the less. He told me he hurt; he understood pain enough to express it into words. The doctors tried to take care of him as best as they could and ease the pain. I only saw him for the first six months, and then one day, he was gone. I learned later that he was alive, but I could not see him. I tried to track him down, but since the labs were long closed, I didn’t know of anyone I could contact to see where he was.
“I didn’t think about him for a long time. But then one day I had the most vivid dream about him. Since then, every once and a while I would think about him, and how that could have been me. I was so close to his age and in the same lab as he was. And then, just recently, I got a letter in the mail. I don’t know who it was from, but inside it was a picture of Anfang smiling and a letter. It said ‘Anfang has passed away. He went easily into the night and is now at peace. He lived well and remembered you always.’”
She stopped for a minute and wiped her eyes with a wing tip and sniffled, starting to choke on her words. “We were only a year apart, but they apparently tweaked some chromosomes or something. That next test was me.”
Thyra finally looked up from her talons, eyes a little watered from the old memories flooding back to her brain. She took a deep breath. “I’m the second gryphon ever made. Or so I think. It… it’s frightening. Not knowing how long we live. How long we have. Or what is going to become of me.”
Aadhya moved to sit next to Thyra, wrapping a huge peppered wing around her friend to comfort her. Thyra leaned into her, bur
ying her beak into Aadhya’s warm plumage.
Thyra began to cry.
The band was silent for some time, watching their friend shake and sniffle inside Aadhya’s wing. The waiter came walking up with a large metal plate of sizzling meats, and vegetables along with many bowls of white rice. He stood next to the table and opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly met with six pairs of concerned avian eyes. He quietly put the plates down and made his exit as swiftly as he could.
“S..sorry,” came Thyra’s scratchy voice from under Aadhya’s plumage. She pulled her head back and chuckled in a dizzy state, tears still dripping off her beak. “I guess I’m just exhausted.”
Aadhya wiped Thyra’s beak clean with one of her massive talons and smiled to her friend. “That is ok, little one. Here, let us eat, and if you wish to continue, we will support you.” Her red and yellow eyes looked around to the other gryphons. They all smiled and nodded in response.
“So, is anyone going to take the steak or can I have it?” Rachel asked and pointed to the biggest piece of meat on the platter.
Thyra preened gently on Aadhya’s neck feathers and trilled. “That’s yours, if you eat the whole thing.” Thyra retorted, now finding herself again.
The gryphons’ feathers roused up as the mood lifted at once.
“Oh you just sit back and watch me. I’ll devour this whole thing
Chapter 7 Upside Down
Johnathen’s eyes glanced back up to his rearview mirror, seeing the headlights of the Mercedes van once again. It was the same van that had been following him ever since he left Atlanta. Now it was turning off on the same exit towards the center of Macon. It was either a very weird coincidence, or he was being followed.
Most of the time, the van would stay a few car lengths back, but now it was right behind him. He couldn’t see the driver through the tinted front windshield, and there were no front plates for Johnathen to see where the van was from.
“I’m being ridiculous,” Johnathen said to himself. True, he had just dropped off video proof that incriminated The Gathering, but there was no way for them to know. He was all the way in Atlanta. Surely their roots did not reach out as far as that.
Johnathen came up to a red light off the freeway and turned on his right blinker. He watched in the mirror as the van did the same. The light turned green and Johnathen turned left instead, then watched as the van suddenly turned across traffic to follow him.
“No doubt about it,” Johnathen said to himself. He gripped his steering wheel tightly, palms sweating and his hands started to shake. What should he do? He could try to outrun him. The Volvo was certainty more powerful and agile than the large Sprinter Van. Or, he could confront him. Whoever it was would not pick a fight in the middle of a crowded street. Would they?
Johnathen made a sudden right turn down a city street and watched as the van followed. His eyes narrowed and he pushed the gas pedal down firmly. The gentle whine of the turbo spooling up filled the cabin as he accelerated down the city street. The bright xenon headlights started to fade in his rearview mirror and he made a quick right down another street before pulling into a gas station.
Johnathen put the car in park and watched the rear view mirror. Every second that ticked by felt like a minute. His breathing was heavy and heart pumped fast with a little adrenaline flowing through his body. To his relief, he saw the van speed by the street he was just on. Quickly, Johnathen put the car in drive once again and turned out of the gas station.
He took a deep breath and let out a sigh, letting his nerves calm somewhat. Who was that?
Johnathen’s phone dinged with a new message as he pulled up to another red light. He pulled out the phone and checked the message. It was from Isabell.
Don’t forget about me. I want a greasy burger. And a milkshake, please.
“Well, at least she said please.” Johnathen could not help but grin at the message and looked up as the light turned green. He pulled down the road and thought about the restaurants on the way to the hospital. The hamburger place he liked most was on the way there. A bright light flashed in his rearview mirror and he glanced back up to see the high beams of the Mercedes’ xenon headlights ficker at him. Johnathen’s eyes opened wide and he gripped the steering wheel.
The other driver wanted Johnathen to know he had found him again. Fear slowly started to turn into anger as he drove down the street with the Mercedes close in tow. Johnathen looked around the car for anything he could use as a weapon if he needed it, but all he had was his suitcase. He was no fighter. He knew he would never win in a full brawl if one broke out. He only hoped this man following him would not fight him outright in public.
Johnathen took a deep breath and slowly eased into the parking lot of the burger joint and waited as the Mercedes did the same. His nerves went crazy and he mentally prepared himself for a confrontation. Just how bad it would get, he did not know.
Johnathen threw open the door just as the Mercedes parked and he quickly walked over to it, his eyes narrowing to see if he could see inside. The van’s driver window rolled down to reveal a man in his forties. His head was shaved bald except for a single short stripe running from his forehead to the back of his head. He took off his sunglasses and calmly put them down in the seat next to him as Johnathen approached.
“Ya know, speeding is dangerous, son. ‘Specially around these parts,” the man said. He was clean-shaven and his eyes were droopy, either from lack of sleep or just exhaustion. Johnathen was struck by the sudden calm comment and stared at the man from a couple feet away.
“Why are you following me?” Johnathen asked, trying not to shout or let his voice crack.
His hands were balled into fists and his body trembled with adrenaline once again. The stranger simply looked at him, as if Johnathen was the one becoming an annoyance and not the other way around.
“Look here. All I was hired to do was follow ya. I ain’t here to cause no trouble.” The man’s tired eyes stared directly at Johnathen, and he could tell this man was being legitimate.
“W…who hired you?” Johnathen asked, his posture relaxing a bit now seeing that the man was not a threat. The man simply sighed.
“Can’t tell ya that. Professional courtesy, ya know,” the man responded.
Johnathen frowned at the answer. “Was it The Gathering?” Johnathen insisted, more demanding now.
The man’s expression did not change one bit. “Can’t tell ya that either.”
“Well? What can you…”
“Son. I ain’t here to play twenty questions with ya. Would you so kindly go back to your business so I can continue mine?” The rumble of the diesel engine on the Mercedes started back up again, implying that he was done talking.
Johnathen became increasingly annoyed and angry with him once again. His voice began to rise. “What is your business exactly?!”
The man rubbed his eyes with his forefingers. “I told ya already. To follow you. Now go on and get. I would love to get home before dark,” the man replied and pulled out his cellphone to start typing a message out.
Johnathen stared at him for a few moments. He wanted to rip the man out of the Mercedes and beat him until he got his questions answered. The man stopped typing and looked over to Johnathen standing there and raised his eyebrow. “Well?”
Johnathen let out an exhausted grunt and turned around to go inside, turning his head once to watch as the man simply played with his phone. His hands were still shaking as he opened the door to the restaurant and walked inside. At least this guy didn’t seem to be a threat of any kind. He apparently was there to observe and report, nothing more, but report to who? He did not seem like the kind of man that worked for the Gathering. He was too laid back and informal.
“Can I help you?” a girl from behind the counter asked curiously. Johnathen realized he had been standing in front of the counter staring out the window for a couple seconds now and it had put the woman off edge.
“Oh! Sorry, just thinking
about my order.” Johnathen responded, putting on an easy-going smile.
The woman smiled back before responding. “Well the burger of the day is the New Bacon-ings burger. Comes with thick slices of bacon, if the awful name didn’t tip you off.”
“As far as burger names go, I think it’s clever. I’ll take two of those. And a chocolate shake.” Johnathen replied and pulled out his wallet. The server tapped away at the screen and took his credit card before disappearing to the back. Johnathen walked over and sat down at a chair near the counter where he could see the van.
“Thyra,” Johnathen said out loud to himself and pulled out his phone, quickly typing a message to her.
I don’t want you to worry, but there’s something weird going on. A man in a Mercedes Sprinter Van has been following me ever since I left Atlanta. I confronted him and all he told me was he was hired to tail me, but wouldn’t tell me who. Just keep a lookout.
Johnathen sent the message and locked his phone. The sounds of a machine whirling to life made him look up quickly. The woman behind the counter was blending the milkshake and looked over to Johnathen, noticing the sound startled him.
“Um, sorry. Do you want whip cream on top?” she asked and poured the contents into a container.
“Sure. Sounds great,” Johnathen responded. The sound of a bell from the kitchen rang through the small restaurant and the woman disappeared into the back again. He looked back out the window to notice a lighter in the Vans window, followed by a puff of smoke.
“Sir? Order’s ready,” the woman said. Johnathen grabbed the bag and the shake, thanked her, and left the building. He walked over to his car and looked at the man smoking a cigarette with the window down.
“Those will kill you, ya know,” Johnathen said, mocking the man for the earlier comment.
“Yeah? So will those burgers,” the man responded and watched as Johnathen got back in his Volvo. He started the engine, and backed out of the parking space as the Van did the same. Johnathen stopped and looked in the rearview mirror again and the man motioned for him to go. They pulled out of the parking lot together, like friends following one another home.
The Gryphon Generation Book 2: A New Era Page 7