Gilbert had seen these same walls for nearly a full decade.
Electrified metal fencing surround three of the sides of the enclosure he lived in while the fourth was a manufactured background made to look like a natural rock face. It wasn't much, but it was home for him as it had been since the day he was first put in. He hadn't seen anything else since then either and the world he knew before felt more like a faded memory with each passing year.
Dare he say he had grown to become comfortable here? True, he did have friends. His neighbour to the one side of him was a Spanish minotaur named Antonio and nightly their mutual friend, Francis, would fly in to visit. And a year or so earlier one of the best things to happen was when he was given a little harpy meant to become a meal.
Maybe content was a better way to put it. He was content for now within the constricting walls. He was content to gossip with his friends and cuddle with Birdie. But there were days when a certain scent would reach him on the wind or he'd feel he spot something familiar in the sunset that would make him long for his old way of life. What would it be like to run for several miles and not have to continuously turn when he reached the fence?
This was one of those days as he tried to listen to what Antonio had to say. As was routine for them at the end of the day when the gates of the zoo were closing and the last visitors were being ushered out, they sat near enough the fence that bordered their two pens relaxing in the grass and talking about what the others at the zoo were doing lately. His mind was drifting and he envisioned hunting game with a pack of other shifters that looked like him.
Gilbert was a man of roughly average height unless you mentioned that to him and he decided he'd stand up straighter to prove you wrong. His hair was an odd white-grey colour that stood out nearly as much as his bright crimson eyes, but otherwise, he appeared a normal human in every way. Except that he was a shifter, meaning that at any given time he was capable of becoming a massive silver wolf. He liked to thrill crowds of kids with his trick of being able to effortlessly slide back and forth and he knew from Francis that he was a zoo favourite. As he should be.
Antonio tilted his head. "Are you looking for your harpy?"
Gil blinked and looked over, pulling himself away from his thoughts of tracking rabbits. He forced a grin and nodded. "Yeah, I miss him when he's not here."
The minotaur laughed and launched back into the topic he had previously discussing, whatever it was still not enticing Gil to pay much attention to it. Until you got to know him, Antonio seemed fairly menacing. Standing somewhere between 7 and 8 feet tall, the minotaur was a large, bulky, and well-muscled individual. A pair of large horns extended from the tuft of chestnut hair on his head and a bull tail swished behind him. A thick coat of fur descended down his back and covered his legs which formed hooves at the bottom.
And unless angered, Antonio was one of the most cheerful and laid back creatures he had ever met. They got along quite well and there were worst neighbours. Francis often spoke of a brownie he visited and he was sure living next him would have been the worst.
Gilbert took a long deep breath in through his nose and closed his eyes. The air held that distinct smell that promised rain sometime in the near future. Maybe he would plan on sitting close with Matthew and watching it from the inside of their room.
It was while his eyes were closed that he heard the distance sound of flapping and he smiled long before he looked to see them. Two harpies soared down through the open space above the fence to land on the grass, Birdie in with him and Francis standing next to Antonio. Although they initially did not get along, they easily reconciled their differences (mainly the notion that Gilbert belonged only to Matthew) and would spend some of their time together in flight. It had made Gil nervous at first, afraid that the harpy wouldn't return to him, but those fears were soon quelled.
As soon as his feet touched down, Francis' mouth was already started. "You won't believe what's happening! Everyone's talking about it!"
"Hey Birdie," Gil greeted as the harpy leaned up against his side. Matthew nuzzled in response, the wings that replaced his arms tucked securely to his body now that they were no longer in use. Gil was gentle in stroking the bright yellow feathers that began at Matt's hairline and descended down his shoulders and back.
"What is it?" Antonio asked in an eager tone. Though, he was eager every night to hear the latest news. He was far more interested in it than Gilbert had ever been.
"The zoo is closing!" Francis' ruffled his bronze feathers at having delivered his shocking news and getting the expected reactions of shock. Antonio immediately began lamenting losing his comfortable home. He loved the little space he was given with its caretakers who fed him treats. Gilbert, on the other hand, had gone very stiff, listening to everything the harpy could share.
"What will happen to us?" Antonio wailed, the broad ears the stuck out from the side of his head drooped in his distress.
"It is unclear." Francis looked between his friends, his expression having gone grave. "There is talk of sending us to a nearby game reserve until a decision can be made."
"But why?" Gil leaned forward, his eyes alert, "What made them change their minds?"
The harpy shrugged. "I think I heard someone say something about changing laws."
Gilbert sat back, still absorbing the news. His two friends continued to chat back and forth while the very notion of leaving the zoo sent electricity through him. Or even greater, what if this was the opportunity had had given up hope of waiting for? What if this was finally his chance to escape?
He blinked as he came back to his senses and glanced down to his harpy beside him. Matthew's lavender eyes were studying him quietly and he felt the sense that Birdie already knew what he was considering.
Matthew frowned slightly at whatever expression he was making as he hazard the question. "What are you thinking?"
"Well," Gil began, glancing at the others to see how engaged they were and ignoring them, "Would you like to see where I lived in Germany? We might have to travel a little."
Matthew sighed and relaxed, an easy smile coming to his face. "I'd like that."
"Me too…" Gilbert wrapped his arm around the smaller harpy's shoulders, squeezing him close against his side. Assuming escape was possible, what would he do then? Maybe he'd find his old home? Or maybe he'd just find a quiet place to settle down somewhere?
Or maybe he'd even find his long lost little brother…
There was a faint smell of smoke in the air. Something, somewhere, was on fire.
Pierre had quickly shifted back into his human form and now took the brief moment to crouch and attempt to catch some of his breath. His bleach blonde hair, normally brushed and styled away from his face now threatened to cut out his vision with the locks at the front falling to just past the bridge of his nose. He panted and coughed, sucking in a deep breath and holding it in a vain attempt to slow the thundering beat of his heart.
Everything had gone to pieces so quickly and he was still reeling from the suddenness of it. Humans had appeared, bearing down on his home and comrades in the early hours of the morning. Luck? Or perhaps they had known what they would find. As his lungs burned in a desperate plea for oxygen the gasp as he released the held breath was accompanied with a growl and low obscenity.
Something like this had never occurred in any history he had known of and the shock of it was driving his companion shifters into a frenzy. While they worked to repel the invaders he had been sent on a mission of surveillance. His white feathered wings were more useful in conveying messages than fighting.
With one hand he attempted to brush the fringe from his face, only managing to partially push the hair away. He needed to return to his earlier duties and circle back to oversee the supervision given to the village's evacuation.
Sensing he had already spent more time than he could spare with resting he was once again in flight. The wide wings beat furiously as he climbed and circled, returning back to the way he had come. Several large cats were battling beneath him, and he grimly noted one was missing before he turned and pushed himself towards the small collection of huddled buildings. He swiftly landed again in the midst of them, turning back in order to communicate with a fellow who was attempting to direct those creatures closest to him. One look at the fellow aviaire shifter spoke volumes as he could see the exhaustion mirrored in himself.
"How goes the evacuation?" he asked, noting how a small creature stopped to stare with large blinking eyes before hurrying away again with what belongings they could carry. Of course, they would stare. Never had they seen a shifter before, as they had generally managed to hide their existence from their charges for centuries. But now as their surprise at meeting creatures of their legends was confounding attempts to rescue them it briefly occurred to him that perhaps their traditions was not helping matters in their current situation.
His fellow shook his head and tried to urge several in passing that they needed to leave immediately and head north. Pierre didn't need anything more in reply. He patted the shifter's shoulder and flew again.
His circling grew smaller with each pass, as the battle pressed ever closer to the small village and the exodus of the creatures appeared to continually be delayed. Occasionally on a pass he would drop down and deliver movements of the enemy to his commander and fly orders that he made to the individuals that needed to hear them. The fighting became less one to repel and more one to delay the advance of the hunters.
When at long last the first trickle of evacuees began to form a small progression northwards, he flew ahead of them to scout the best path. Fighters had already fallen and the sounds of battle now pressed upon the already frightened creatures causing their rational minds to vacate and their instincts to take over, creating greater chaos.
His wing beats propelled him well ahead of the procession to scout, his head turning in all directions as he searched paths. The way appeared clear and it was as he began a wide turn back that things went wrong. Long before he heard the echoing shot he felt the immense pressure in his right wing that stunted all of its movement. It wasn't until he was half way to the ground that he felt any pain. His left wing beat furiously, desperate to slow his decent and the quickly approaching earth.
The impact hurt. The force knocked the wind from him and as he lay in a daze the implications of what had just happened were realised. Hunters were lying in wait to the north and likely in every other direction. They were surrounded.
Even as that crossed his mind, the pain in his wing made him shift with a cry. One hand covered the wound and came away wet. He grit his teeth together and forced himself back up. He needed to tell the others. They needed to know they were headed towards a trap.
His left arm held his right close to his body while his limping gait slowed his retreat. Every step made him grimace and he huffed in his efforts. His thoughts flitted away from his situation ever so briefly, but the reprieve made him smile in the memory. The thick green curls and bright eyes of a woman he had always been fond of.
Would he see her again? He wished so. It seemed he had wasted all his time with her in the past. The urgency of the situation made that idea very clear to him. He had taken her for granted. That would change, he immediately vowed, even as he stumbled from his injuries. The next time he saw her he wouldn't wait for another second and take her immediately into his arms. He would kiss her with all the passion he had.
That thought sustained his shambling struggle to find the others. And it was perhaps that thought that distracted him from the ambush that came up from behind.