Chapter 2
Missouri State University
Springfield, Missouri, United States
January 2nd, 2005
It was all empty and silent in the University until Matthew burst through the doors to the reception, he didn't care if he just woke up 20 people and hence get into trouble by the staff, he had just made an important discovery, one that shook him to the bone and dilated his pupils to the size of specs of dust.
He rushed down the hallway down to his room, he opened the door and entered, closing it behind him, their room was mostly illuminated by the beautiful orange morning sky, where he noticed his roommate was sleeping, Glad he didn't wake him up, he went over to the computer and activated it, the bright light shining on his face.
He inserted a cable into both his Handycam and the Computer and started to transport the video onto the computer. As soon as the download had completed he went onto files and viewed the video, muting the audio along the way as so not to wake up his friend.
And there it was, all he captured was there, he wasn't dreaming at all.
"Oh my gosh…" The Young Adult muttered under his breath as he held his head in his hand and laid back in his chair "What am I going to do?" He wondered as he thought of his situation "I don't want to be called crazy!".
He, at first, thought of sending it to police, but they would think he was really good at special effects and jail him for wasting their time, Then he thought to show it to his roommate, but he was a big fan of science, so he would deny believing it as soon as the request was offered to him, He also thought of sending it to a Hunting-for-Bigfoot esque show where they accept video submissions, but those guys already get enough weight and criticism put on them, what would make his video any different? He just didn't know what to do.
Liverpool Avalon
Liverpool, England
January 2nd, 2005
RIIIIIIIIIIING!
Smack!
Anthony looked with droopy and tired eyes at the clock he knocked over with his claw, But he didn't care too much.
Anthony was tired, it had been two days ago the Harpy had celebrated New Years Day with his mates at the Underground with tons of beer and singing, which caused him to suffer a hangover yesterday to which he was still suffering some side effects. He and his friend Blanche were staying in until they got better, The Teen made a promise to himself that he wouldn't be drinking alcohol for a while.
His life wouldn't have been troubled enough if the events back in August hadn't happened.
Back then, Anthony and his best mate Blanche were hanging out in Stanley Dock, apparently Blanche wanted to tell him when they were hanging out there, he thought that his friend was coming out of the closet, to his friend's annoyance, but when he came out as what he actually was, Anthony would of thought that he was in a dream.
Anthony could still remember everything at that moment months later, the cold concrete he was sitting on, the windy air of the docks, and the tall white stag that had replaced his friend in one, magical blast.
Anthony, at first, keep his hysteria internally locked inside him, trying to stay calm and question his friend what he just did, his friend told him thta he was a white stag, and that he was using magic to hide amongst the human popualtion, and that there was other people like him, hiding from the humans in a place called an Avalon, he took him inside, where a small enchanted town awaited inside, to Anthony's further shock.
Anthony was shown around the town by his friend - who was in his midform at the time instead of the normal human look he had for the past 7 or 8 years he had gotten used to-, encountering many strange folks along the way, it was when his friend bombarded him with suggestions of where they should go next was were he snapped and ran off, leaving his friend in a saddened state.
While he did feel sorry for leaving his mate behind, especially in the irritated state he scorned at him with, he would not feel like apologizing for a while after what happened next, he remembered when he dialed his friend's number when the claws and feathers began growing on arms.
His mate hurried over and picked him up from his place, back to the Avalon, where the two continued to panic as more bird-like features grew across Anthony, feathers, claws, feet, etc. It wasn't long until everywhere from his toes to his chest where covered in feathers, his head and chest were left okay, but whatever happened to him was something noticeable.
He grew immensely irritated as the local sorcerer claimed that he could do nothing to help him, basically leaving him to be kept in the Avalon like a prisoner, and what did his friend say after all this? That he should try flying.
The Liverpudlian still didn't understand what his friend was thinking he was going to reply with, anything other than a rant on how he was now a freak and outcast?
Eventually, however, Anthony was greeted at the bar by someone similar to him, Ike. Apparently, they were both raised to think that there was nothing supernatural, all was fine and normal, and everything magical was fiction. That was until both of them were introduced to the mysterious magical world of the mythical community by slow transformations into non-human beings, Ike was a Manticore-Buggane mix, while he was a Human-Harpy mix, with them being both crossbreeds, people who inherited traits from both of their parents' species.
After that night, Anthony, while still bummed about the whole 'I'm not a member of Human Society anymore' thing, was still comforted by his friend, who he now felt sorry for, as he was trying to introduce him to this new exciting world, but just ended up making his friend a part of it, he later apologized and the two went on, with Blanche promising to try and find a way for his friend to return to a human form.
He would later find out, from his single mother, that she wasn't a normal person either, as she used to be, in fact, a Harpy. She told him that she used to live on a small Greek island with other people like her, but that she met a handsome human, who she left with, not before convincing the local sorceress to change her to a human.
Anthony later fell back into his irritated self, he was angry at her, not only did she run away from her family and friends for some guy she didn't even know, but that she never told her son about any of this, he felt like everybody was an untrustworthy liar, and secluded himself to his room for a few hours, until he was convinced to come out by his friend.
Anthony was troubled by all of this, he had to leave behind his entire life in order to inhabit a place that he wanted to leave, but couldn't due to the fact that he would be called a freak, and would be put the lives of many people in danger. But Ike, Blanche, and some other people within the L.A(as it was called) had offered to help him, introducing him to their culture, games, and activities, which he liked, but could neither fully get rid of the lingering feeling of home-sickness.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in…" He mumbled in a sick manner.
In stepped Mrs. Noir, a Peryton, she had a look of disdain and dis-amusement on her face, she was carrying a tray, with a plate of vegetables and a cup of water.
"Here is your breakfast Mr. Gills" The Peryton said as she laid the tray onto Anthony's lap.
"Thank you…" Anthony said as he slightly lifted his head to look at the plate, he then gently grabbed his fork with his claw and smashed it into the vegetables.
"I'm still not happy what you and my son did on New Years, I expected the year to start off more polite and mannered celebration, not with drunken delinquents running down the street" Mrs. Noir stated as she pulled out a thermometer from her pocket.
"S-sorry Mam" The Teen slurred as he focused on eating his vegetables.
Mrs. Noir put the thermometer in Anthony's mouth, pulled it back out, and looked at it, with a smile on her face.
"Well, Good news, It seems as your temperature has returned to its normal state, I expect you get some time out Today" The Mother explained to Anthony.
"Well that's good I guess" Anthony replied.
"Also, Mr. Gills" The Peryton said while leaving the room "Blanche is awake and would like your permission to come in".
Anthony, not being able to be with and see his friend for a day, sat up in bed.
"Send him in" Anthony responded.
The Peryton, smiling in purposely annoying way possible, called out to her son, in the most 'Motherly' way possible "Bambi! Your bird friend wants to play with you!".
Instantly, Blanches embarrassed and irritated voice echoed through the hallway.
"Mom!"
Mrs. Noir and Anthony laughed in unison, Mrs. Noir left to go downstairs, while her son, a deer with white fur, eyes, and nose, who was looking tired and messy, entered Anthony's doorway.
"Hey" The two exchanged in unison.
Blanche went over and sat on Anthony's bed, with his long hair touching the bed sheets.
"So, mate…" The Deer asked "Do you want to do something today like…? Maybe Greensleeves? What about Elanor's? The Library is busy today".
"Greensleves sounds nice." He simply answered, his groggy state wanting to be with himself as soon as possible.
Seeing this, the Stag sat up and left the room, not before standing just through the doorway.
"Tony?"
"Yes Blanche?"
"Are you...?"
"Am I what?..."
"...Nevermind."
The Stag left his friend's room, leaving him confused on what his friend was going to ask him, sighing, he put the tray on his bedside table and got out of bed, his bird feet touching the floor, making him sigh as it was a reminder of the current state of his life.
10 Minutes Later
The two boys exited out of the house, with them in the usual attire of a Ghostbusters Jacket for Anthony and a Daft Punk T-Shirt and Blue Jeans for Blanche, They looked up at the bright sun they hardly seen in two days.
"So! Off to Greensleeves?" Blanche asked his friend.
"Off to Greensleeves!" Anthony answered his friend.
While the two walked to the restaurant, Anthony looked around the L.A, the Drunken Satyr, the Fountain, the Elder Hall, he observed architecture, he looked the unique residents he met every day, he saw Elanor beating her friend Rupert at Borogrove again, he saw Timand Abbie chatting outside the Nightclub (probablly how they still have to clean the stains out of the walls), and he saw one of the Finns flying in the air above them, he could feel the history and culture by simply looking around him, All of this, all of this wonder and intrigue, Could of all easy of remained unknown to him if his tall friend had kept his gob shut.
"Here we are!" Blanche said as he and his friend walked into the restaurant.
The two entered the restaurant, with them being greeted by the owner, a Nemean lion.
"'Hello there Blanche!" The Owner welcomed his customer.
"Hi, Sir!" Blanche greeted back.
"What can we make you two gentleman today?" The owner asked as he got out his pen and paper.
"Yes! Can we get some sandwiches and some chips please?" The White Stag ordered.
"Are the sandwiches the usual?" The Owner asked his customer.
"The Usual" The Stag answered.
While Anthony went to his table, The Owner got an uneasy feeling and decided to ask the Teen a question about his friend.
"Um, Anthony?" The Owner Asked.
"Yes?" The Deer responded.
"Is yer pal still...You know? Mad? Like Me and Dermot saw him-" The Owner explained before he was interrupted.
"OH! Oh no, he isn't like that anymore, the last time he 'acted' was around...L-Late August! Me and some of our mates are managing to help him through the whole ordeal" Blanche answered.
"Well, It's good to see that your mate doing fine now" The Owner said, slightly relieved as his face turned from uneasy to happy.
Blanche then continued to head to the table, where he sat directly across from his friend.
"Are you okay mate? What was that about?" His friend asked, a little concerned.
"Oh! Nothing! Just a conversation you know?" He answered, believing it would ruin the moment if he reminded his friend, who had already gone through enough, about his 'less pleasant' moments/memories.
"Oh uh...OK then" The Harpy replied, just accepting the answer.
The two friends sat at the table, waiting for their meals to arrive, believing that this year was going to be an improvement over the last one. It was going to be an improvement, but not in the way that they (and the rest of the mythical community)were hoping for...