Flight of Insanity

The flight was longer than Jacob had anticipated.

True, he couldn't complained, since there was another shorter, faster, and safer route near the city, than gliding through the green country side, but there had been a complaint, from the other gargoyles, about there being "poachers" and human guardians stalking about the clans cautious and harshest route, and he had promise to investigate that in his return.

The other thing, was that he had a certain dislike of the noisy, human, light-that-almost-makes-you-go-blind, machines. Even so, on his detour back he couldn't help pass slightly low on the humans guard machines. Someone probably saw him.

Night seemed to illuminate his dark features and the cool breeze dusked his aggravation, but, still, he couldn't shake the idea of Goliath and the whole Manhattan Clan neglecting his petition once again.

---"Damn them."---he cursed infuriated.

There was so much to be aware of, so much to look after, so much trust to be neglected!

He had hoped that Goliath's acceptance in the Lirielly Clan would suggest that he could maintain the balance and self control in his mind. That the presence of the Wyvern Clan would help him focused on the task at hand, that it would remind him to evade the unavoidable, and to be loyal to himself. He'd even hoped that the clan leader could exchange guidelines on how to lead a pack, but, he had not expected this.

Again he cursed.

It was evident he was leaving the country side, illuminated in the back with the city life, and heading toward an even greener landscape. Jacob could see different houses, many, of which, were separated by a good amount of land.

Little human cottages lighted dimly in the outdoors and hidden darkly within. Though he saw one, not so far away, that he thought had every torch and highly lit light in the entire city. Inside and out the human house looked like a small star on earth. A faint music was heard on it and sounds of voices singing, chatting and laughing where followed by it.

---"Heh."---He smiled slightly. So it seems human had ceremonies and festivals too.

Jacob gathered his unrelying thoughts once more. Worried appeared to have lighten his night, once again.

"…In the mist of power and doubt, you will find another who seeks the same as thou. Thus, remember the time lost will not be gain and the memory to remember, remembers the same. The ruin of the unity will come in a form of a mortal, a winter's lass forever in horror; thou must gain solitude and loneliness to regain what's lost and hastily taken apart, for remember if not regain it will be lost forever and forever in pain, tragic is in vain. Blood will flow from thou and the winged devils cry will chill the sky."

He had memorized every word and sentenced. He knew the prophesy by heart and even with his extensive knowledge and years gathered, Jacob could harshly guessed what it meant.

"…The ruin of the unity will come in a form of a mortal," he knew this meant a destruction of some kind, a war of some sort, and he believed the destruction was meant for his clan. "…a winter's lass forever in horror;" So it was a female, a woman, who would deprave his clan, who will cast it on hell fire, who will destroyed it. "…thou must gain solitude and loneliness…" and the prophesy told him, that he must remain alone and in darkness to regain his clan, his people, himself.

He sighed grave and mortified. What on hell was he going to do? He thought that the Manhattan Clan would sum up his expectations on rendering the prophesy, but, know he only had his wits and expeculations on what the prophesy meant and what might he do about it.

The grass started to grow higher and the trees were denser. He could only interpret he was on his way to the old Lirielly route.

Jacob became more suspicious of his surroundings. Studying every inch he scouted with detail and focused. Alert ever for the white aspect of the human vehicle with red lights and highly strapped and uniformed mortals.

He never understood them, never comprehend why where they so obsessed in researching and touching the gargoyles and knowing if they were real or just illusory. He could only estimate fear made them behave that way. The unknowing always acting about in its ugliest form.

He looked near the wooden trees, the fog starting to lower itself from the near cold mountain tops.

He could see the hidden bridge, swamped with heavy rocks and stones, mostly destroyed, in the way that it didn't allowed any human or technologic pass through its back. The lake that hovered down was always at a low level. Repenting the humans from diving or trying to cross from the water. That way, they couldn't get to the gargoyles; either they were detained from entering Liriel by sea or earth. Sky had its other security…and that was magic.

The clear night view was cut short by the pasty mountain fog and the young gargoyle decided he should do another quick check, from start to end again, ensuring he saw nothing wrong or irregular on the old route.

Jacob turned around and started examinating the end of the trail on high altitude, then; when he arrived in the beginning of the path, sighing, he lowered himself near the tree tops, where he could smell the pine groves and the muddy earth. Where the wind murmured songs of silent and hollow serenity. He felt at ease there.

Alone, with nature guiding you, away from the bustling city and its blinding lights, that once again where behind him, he wondered how Goliath and the others could find peace there. Then he remembered the female, the black haired woman. Goliath's future, or maybe present, mate. He didn't know, nor didn't he care. Details in that aspect where non important to him.

He just thought about the feeling of company, understanding, and the warmth, many people rumored, it brought.

Suddenly, he felt a flare coming up from within his left wing. –-"Argh!"---Jacob winced in pain. He pushed desperately to regain control, moving his right wing up and down, up and down, trying to evade the fall. What on heavens was going on?! Another burn impacted his tail. He screamed in pain and closed his eyes shut.

He knew the unavoidable, with his right wing injured and his tail for balance burned, he was going to crash in at least ten seconds from a height of about twelve feet. The impact didn't sound as good as he thought.

…and it wasn't.

Avoiding a tree, but landing right on a bush that stung every part and inch of his entire body. He then felt harshly on the ground. Coughing and burning, he cursed under his breath as he tried to sit up and check for the damaged. What on hell happened…? He wondered turbulent and perplexed as he finally sat down on the rusty ground and tried to shift his left wing to his front for a clearer, more detailed view.

It was a miracle he could see, with so much obscurity and so hastily agitated at the time.

Jacob accessed his wing, the dark extension was hack in the middle by a medium hole, that appeared to have been burned from the ground up, it smelled awful and he started to see small amount of blood dripping from one of the veins where the object that impacted him had stroked. He remained silent, still unable to define what just happened. He put his lips on the incinerated part and removed what was left of burnt and blood, hoping that it will stop bleeding until he arrived to Liriel. He guarded both wings over his chest and moved on to his tail, sliding the extension to the front.

The extension seemed worse, though it was smaller than the hole in the wing; it had a bluish and black circle surrounding it. The rip was small, but the circles that appeared around seemed to grow by the second. So that meant he couldn't fly to Liriel, because of the wing incision and the opening on his tail wouldn't help maintain the balance on flight either.

The gargoyle moved his head from side to side. In denial, he couldn't understand what on earth, heaven, nor hell had happened. First, he thought poachers…but, this late in the night? Then a noise made him silent even the depth of his thoughts.

---"I told ya' I've seen it, didn't I?"---

Another voice answered behind it.

---"Yeah, yeah, now you've send it off someway on this here turf!"---responded a male voice. To pitchy to be a normal, sane, male voice.

Jacob lowered his large body to the ground. As low as he could on a sitting position. He, then, heard footsteps and the male voices gathering closer and closer.

---"What on 'ell was I going to do?"---commented a hiccupping human. The one that talked at the beginning, Jacob recognized. ---"See a flying thing and let it be on his way, huh?"---The male breathe insensitively. ---"I say after we're done with this here "thing", we come back and look at it."---

---"That's "for it" you drunken, nincompoop!"---sighed the second man. It was the first time Jacob could see the leaves and bushes moving about. The "sane" man started sighing again. ---"Hey, I've got an ideal…"---the man continued, sounding a bit odd, from Jacob's point of view. The old man sounded like he was a hunter circling it's pray.

---"An idea? Hey you're drunk too, don't talk fuss, Mortimer!"---

---"I'm not Mortimer, ya fuss, you are!"---stated the man. Coming now into visible view.

He looked like a middle age man. Dressed in old, unwashed clothes. His beard was white, but, Jacob couldn't really tell since it was surrounded with dirt and many brown colored substances. He moved his tongue trough his lips and then looked back at the still invisible companion. Excitement in his eyes.

In a few feet away from of him. Jacob fell witnessed to the second coming of the dark ideals of men. Another man came out the damped forest carrying a long, faintly glowing creature.

The white creature had its hand wrapped around the drunken man's hand that held her lips shut. She tried to make faint escapes but the strength of the human, with the excess of alcohol seem to paralyze her attempts. Tears appeared to moisten her face.

The gargoyle stared quietly. He recognized the human woman, but, just like gargoyles, she was different from Goliath's mate and other humans. She had a sadness and a hushed desperation about her…

He was silent and shocked, now his mind processing the atrocity's this human males were talking about.

---"Aye, shut up!"---growled the man called Mortimer, staring down at the woman. He then looked up at the other bum. ---"So what it's your ideal, you say?"---he asked, his feet widening and trembling impassively.

I imagine these two bums like the pirates in The Pirates of the Caribbean. So that is where I get the dirty image and irritable drunken accent of. For the girl, I am listening to Space Dye-Vest from Dream Theater; it is a very sad and desperate song. So it sets the mood just right.

I hope you like it…!

My Hellos!
Knex