Griffins and New Beginnings:Varren’s eyes slid open as his ears picked up the incessant beeping of his alarm clock. Being the cause of his rude awakening, he mumbled a curse to it as he pushed off his fluffy blanket. Leaving the soft embrace of his bed, the boy moved his own weight, swinging his feet off to the side to gain a stable footing. Operating off of instinct, his hand reached out to a wrist-device; on its display was a notification ordering him to leave his peaceful slumber. Sluggishly applying an index finger to the screen, he silenced the alarm and let out a yawn. After proceeding with his morning procedure, a tradition of brushing his teeth and taking a shower in his drowsy state, followed by dressing himself. However, instead of slipping into his casual attire, he put on a neatly ironed uniform which rested on his desk.
”Oh… today’s the day.” Aside from the belated acknowledgement of his first day at a brand new school, he adorned himself with the jacket and weaved the tie through his collar. Once his uniform was fully prepared, Varren grabbed his packed luggage; a pair of large travel bags, filled with armaments and school materials. Being an arduous task to tug both bags with his frail arms, he lazily brought up his Toshinmac and tapped on the
Messages tab. Scrolling through his contacts, he let out another groan and poked at the name of one of his family’s butlers.
”Please bring my carry-on to the front gates. I’ll be out there in five minutes.”After committing the act of apathy, he creeped around the house until he found his mother. He found her waiting by the front door, wearing her usual business attire. Her face lit up when she saw her child, lethargically approaching her with a tired expression. She let out a high-pitched giggle and cuffed her hands over her mouth, her eyes affixed at the boy in his uniform,
”Today is the big day! My baby boy’s first day at his new academy! Good thing I don’t have to disown you~” The woman teased, grinning as she raised an arm towards him. Varren’s eyes traced the limb, settling upon what was within her hand.
”A present from your father. He had a meeting early this morning with the American branch, so hopefully this will suffice.” She faced the pistol grip to him, her fingers were wrapped around the main body of the gun,
”Relaying what he said, he felt you required a sidearm. It’s chambered with a 5.7x30mm anti-material round, with low recoil and high penetration capabilities, this gun is perfect for you. Also, the muzzle can be used as a bludgeoning weapon…”The woman trailed off as her eyes beamed at his overall physique,
”...But I’m sure that such a tactic wouldn’t leave much of a mark on your enemy, hm?” His mother stepped towards him and folded his fingers around the pistol, then seized him in a bear hug. She pouted as she squeezed his arms,
”Wow, you may be taller than me, but you’re still a skinny twig. I hope this uniform isn’t a size too large...” Varren let out a sigh at the redundant statement, after all, the uniform’s sleeves were longer than his arms.
”I mean, really. A creature wouldn’t even want a bite of you. They’d only be able to nibble on the bone, that’s about it. That’s not appetizing.”As the woman went on, Varren exhaled deeply, cutting her off from her ruthless critiquing session.
”Shh. This is supposed to be a memorable event, not a chance to go on a rant. Anyways, thanks for the farewell. Tell the old man I said goodbye. I’ll stop by the office when I get a day off, alright?” His mother nodded and released the boy, patting him on the back and pushing him towards the door,
”Alright, make sure to come back with some friends! Oh yeah, your first batch of ammunition should arrive tomorrow. Good luck, my dear boy!” Still in a daze, he walked out of the front door, leaning forward in a hunch. Wrapping his fingers around the doorknob, he turned it and slowly eased it open. The sudden wave of chilled air barely registered, since Varren was used to the cold weather. He slipped the pistol into his uniform’s pocket and took a first step off the porch. The boy cautiously paced himself on the icy walkway, performing a distorted parody of ballet in the process. Managing to survive with his clumsy balance, he made his way to the metal gates, then placed his palms on the bars and pushed forward with his whole body. After moving the creaking gates, he stepped through the new opening and stopped at the sight awaiting him. Standing before him was a fully grown griffin, waiting idly next to his luggage on the snowy sidewalk about two meters away. It took a few moments for a reaction to manifest itself, a dazed smile formed on his face.
”Oh my. I really need some coffee… Probably should not have stayed up so late working on that project...” Deducing that the beast was a creation of his mind, he playfully waltzed over to it and grabbed onto a feather, giving it a light tug. The supposed figment of his imagination suddenly let out a shrill caw of displeasment and stared back at Varren. Narrowing its beady eyes at him, it slipped a wing under the boy’s feet, then flung him into the air.
”...Wha?” The zombie of a student muttered as he did a front flip, before landing limply on a fastened saddle. With a blank expression and widened eyes, he tried to find a silver lining within his current situation. Wracking through his head for the reason of the griffin’s presence, the image of the letter he received a few days prior flashed vaguely in his memory. Abruptly torn from his leisure state, his mouth hung open out of realization.
”It’s so comfy!” Was all the boy had to say, lightly grabbing onto the creature’s exterior as he managed to hug it. Having completely forgotten about the type of transport he would taken to school, the boy subconsciously walked to the front of his house, thinking a bus would have escorted him to school. He glanced around for an attendant, only to be faced with empty street corners. He shrugged and deduced that the griffin had arrived on its own.
”Onwards! To the academy, and caffeinated beverages!” Varren cheerfully said aloud, holding out an arm, motioning the griffin to proceed with their takeoff. The creature grunted and set its gaze forward, slightly flapping its wings in preparation. Once it felt contempt, it grabbed onto his luggage with its forearms and propelled itself upwards, kicking up the snow which caked the concrete. He got a firm grip on the griffin’s sides as the creature ascended into the air. Varren watched the wings as they changed angles, utilizing the wind to push them forwards.
Gracefully soaring through the air, Yinyues couldn’t help but to shiver as he felt the cold air brush against his uniform.
”It is winter after all… I should have worn a sweater or something.” He mumbled as he clung closer to the griffin, hoping to grasp onto a portion of its warmth. The warm-blooded beast was bred to endure such conditions with flying colors, covered in a coat of feathers which held in every bit of heat. He lowered his forehead in between its scapula, resting his tired mind as they advanced to their destination. Varren closed his eyes, listening to the flapping wings. After a few minutes, his ears picked up the addition of more sets, up to the point where it stirred him from his peaceful respite. Slowly turning his head to the side, he opened his lids and noticed the plethora of griffins surrounding them. He realized that they were nearing the Black Gale, as the flock of creatures began to congregate in a more organized formation. Varren analyzed the faces of the students, though there were too many to remember any notes he mentally took.
”Interesting. They all have different expressions.” Sitting up, he stared ahead and smiled,
”Oh, hey! We’re almost there. Mr. Griffin, you have been a plausible form of transportation. Definitely more unique than a school bus~” The student chimed as he closed his eyes again, leaning on the beast while it passed through the wormhole, waiting out the hour long trip.
The boy let out a yawn as he rose, wearily staring down at the academy which was quickly growing in size.
”Wait… Aren’t we going a tad bit fast Mr. Griffin?” No response came from the creature as it descended altitude at an alarming rate. Varren had no time to bask in the academy’s glorious exterior as the griffin changed the positioning of its wings. It began to flap them against the wind, decreasing their speed as they reached the ground. By this point, the boy was left in shambles, a frightened heap of innocence. The griffin elegantly landed on its back legs, dropping Varren’s luggage then settled on all fours. Varren shook as he slid off the beast, nearly traumatized by the event,
”...Thanks Mr. Griffin. I don’t anything to gi- achoo.” The boy sneezed and sniffled, rubbing a finger against his cold nose. He yawned loudly and reacquired his luggage. Suddenly, the boy heard a crowd of cheers in the distance, which belonged to a horde of orcs.
...Oh. My. I really need a cup of coffee.” He sighed, longingly staring at the academy as more and more students landed.
”Such a lively lot of students. Wonder how many of them are in my class?” Not only was he intrigued by the students themselves, but also the weapons they wielded. It was going to be an eventful year, at the least.
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