Chapter 3: Griffin
Griffin thought it was better than he had imagined. Being inside this cozy cavern surrounded by the males made him feel so much like he was at home. He became the center of attention when he entered the cavern. Nearly every male bat crowded over him and questions spurted from their mouths so simultaneously that Griffin was too confused to answer each bat's questions. Eventually he did get to telling the story of his journey in the Underworld and then in the Vampyrum pyramid. Griffin tried his absolute best to give most of the credit to his deceased father who helped him get through both journeys with his inspiring words and spirit. He knew he was not as brave or strong as his father and he probably would never be. But even though Shade was dead, he was not dead in his dreams. Every single dream he had was about him being with his father, and this helped him to remain happy each day. He knew that his father never left his side, even if he wasn't sleeping. He could always feel him right beside him, following him everywhere he went.
When he finally finished his story, the news of Shade's death spread out in Stone Hold and active conversation arose all around the cavern, soon gradually filled with voices. Eventually, Griffin got to meet his grandfather for the first time. He was surprised to see that he looked almost exactly like Shade, only the old features that lined his body showed that he had lived also lived a long hard life in the past. He looked so powerful and even if he was and old bat, his chest puffed out strongly and his posture was always straight. Griffin felt like he would make such a great elder.
That morning while the males rested, Griffin and Cassiel roosted outside the cave on a tree just next to the opening. Together they stared out into the sea that lied out just beside the caverns. The calm sound of the breakers helped the two bats to relax and meditate on their thoughts. Griffin felt uncomfortable to talk to his grandfather for some strange reason. He always thought that he was too weak to talk to someone that looked so powerful and wise.
"My son died twice honorably." Cassiel said aloud, trying to make it seem like he wanted to say it to himself in his mind. Griffin looked at Cassiel for a moment and then back out into the sea.
"You heard my stories?"
"Yes, of course." The old bat said with a smile. "I was a headstrong bat when I was a young adult – about your age right now." Griffin strained his eyes thoughtfully. "My son inherited his spirit and courage from me, and I am trying to sound as humble as I can. I am proud of Shade and what he has done for our kind. We made peace, Griffin."
"But, grandfather, how long will this peace last?"
"You have me thinking. Peace does not last forever."
"Only when you're dead it does."
"That's the case now isn't it?" Cassiel said with a deep chuckle. It seemed like a thunderclap to Griffin's ears.
"I'm glad to say, yes." Griffin said quietly. He saw Cassiel smile. "But, I miss him." Cassiel looked back at Griffin and nudged him comfortingly.
"My heart aches to know he is not here in this world with us any longer as well, but everyone dies." Griffin looked troubled.
"But, Grandpa, it's not fair! My dad never had a chance to live as long as any bat should. He died so early, and I wish he hadn't, even if it was for the sake of the world." Cassiel looked at him thoughtfully. "I see my Dad in my dreams, every time, but it isn't enough. I can't get over the facts." He breathed out raggedly and felt his face become hot. "I want to press my face into his chest. I want to smell his fur. I just want him to be real!"
"I know how hard it is for you, Griffin, but you have to realize what he fought for, and what he died for. Is it not enough that you see him at all? I bet he is ashamed that his son is thinking like this!" The last remark took Griffin back. He couldn't look at Cassiel and his entire body started to heat up. "He's here, Griffin. If you can see him in your dreams, he can be looking down on us right now. With Nocturna's help, Shade can possibly do anything."
"Could he tell her to bring him back??" Griffin started to feel annoyed. He hoped his own grandfather would think the same way as he did.
"That's his choice, Griffin." Cassiel paused and then embraced Griffin lovingly. "But I am happy that I still have you." Griffin managed to calm down almost instantly, his face pressed against Cassiel's neck scruff. It smelled exactly like Shade's – that very familiar and homey smell.
"Thank you, grandfather." Griffin whispered. Cassiel unwrapped his wings.
"I'm excited to see your mate and your child soon. You'll be a father, Griffin." Cassiel said with a warm grin.
"Me too!" Griffin said, his anxiety regained. "I've been missing Luna terribly ever since I left her! I just couldn't get her out of my head."
"Just a couple more months." Cassiel reminded him.
"Yeah." A short moment of silence resumed. "I haven't met my uncle yet! Where is he?"
"Ah, yes, Chinook. Um..well…" The way Cassiel paused made Griffin uneasy.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Well, he heard your story too, and he didn't react so well."
"Oh no."
"It's best to console him, Griffin. He went out into the forest just that way." Cassiel replied, pointing out into a patch of trees in the forest nearby Stone Hold.
"Thanks. See you, grandpa!" Griffin shouted as he was immediately flying into the forest. He sent out waves and waves of echo beams all over to catch a glimpse of any bat's figure. After minutes of searching, Griffin managed to trace out movements, but they were hard to perceive. He caught a silvery image just behind a small bush in the forest and he perked his ears up to hear muffled crying noises. Griffin landed on the other side of the bush and peeked over the side to see his uncle sitting down with his face buried in between his knees, weeping bitterly.
"Uncle…Chinook?" Griffin said. Chinook spluttered in surprise and lifted his head. He noticed Griffin and blinked his eyes constantly to stop the tears. His face was almost completely wet. Griffin widened his eyes in shock, wondering how a burly Silverwing male could cry like that.
"Griffin?" Chinook said with a weak, almost fake smile. "C'mere." Griffin crawled up to his uncle as he embraced Griffin with his powerful wings. "I'm so happy to finally see you."
"You didn't look so happy before." Griffin said, his face buried in his mane. Chinook sighed as Griffin sat on his knees. Chinook laid his hands on the soft grass and swept his wings over them as if in deep thought.
"I'm sorry." He finally said. "You think I'm a big guy, huh?" Griffin was surprised – it was like he read his mind. "Big guys have more fragile feelings." Chinook slowly stood up, groaning as if having back pains. Griffin stood up too and put his hand on his uncle's arm.
"Are you okay??"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry." His uncle replied. "I was sitting down a bit too long."
"I never got a chance to hear your adventures with my father, even though my mom did let me hear some stories." Chinook smiled at this.
"Then I'll tell you some! But you'll have to wait. The leaders of Stone Hold have decided to have a little gather meeting for Shade's death. It's an honor thing you know?" Griffin nodded. "Thanks, Griffin. If you didn't come, I might've missed it." The two bats together flew back into the cavern, the sun sinking slowly over the horizon.
When night blanketed the forest, all the bats of Stone Hold were gathered into a single large crowd, hanging on the cavern ceiling. Below, on the cool dirt ground, stood all of the four leaders of Stone Hold, each holding a strange flower in their claws. Griffin, Cassiel, and Chinook were with them, standing to the side to wait for their turn to say their speech. Griffin felt nervousness claw at his heart ravenously – he had never talked to hundreds of male bats before. He felt himself trembling uncontrollably, and he tried his hardest to keep himself still. Chinook noticed.
"Hey, it's not that bad. Say what you want to say by the heart!" He whispered in his ear. Griffin didn't respond for a while.
"What should I say?"
"What you think about your father." This was all Chinook said. Griffin started to brainstorm vigorously as the leaders cleared their throats and got ready for the speech.
"Shade Silverwing was an inspiration to us all. He raised our spirits with his stories, and spread ebullience across the entire Silverwing colony. He is a true hero and he will be forever remembered in our hearts and in the hearts of generations of the Silverwings to come." The first leader said loud and clear. He bent down and dug the flower gently into the ground, stem down.
"He was an encouragement – a special kind delved deep into all our hearts. We all respect him for his bravery and his thirst for revolution that helped our regain our sun. He gave us peace for the price of his life, and we all thank him greatly for it." The second leader put his flower next to the first one.
"He kept us strong with his inspiring will to fight for our freedom. He is a hero that has faced amazing odds and, in turn, restored liberty to bat-kind. He sacrificed his life without complaint to help us all, and showed us what true heroism really is." The third leader placed in his flower.
"Shade has elevated our colony to prosperity and a lasting peace. The owls and beasts have signed the treaty, and the cruel law was vanquished. Shade is truly Nocturna's chosen and he deserved the position. His personality is something we all envy, and we could only sit back and wait as he went out there to risk his life for our sake. He saved the world…and Nocturna along with it." With that, the fourth flower went down, and the leaders flew up into the crowd to roost. Griffin felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. Cassiel whispered to the others, "I'll go first." Griffin and Chinook nodded in agreement. Cassiel went over to the flowers and looked up at his colony. His voice was like thunder.
"When I was a newborn, I had the same spirit as my son. I had the same thirst for revolution and adventure, but something in me held me back. I always hated myself because of it, but now in my current age, I realize that it was best that I did not spark revolution – I was headstrong, gentlemen, and that kind of personality does not mix with true heroism.
I miss my son – he is not here with us any longer, but he will always be here in a different form, a supernatural form. We won't see him, but we will know that he is looking over us always.
I am happy for what my son has done throughout his life. He is a brave soul, and I'm almost proud to have a son like him, and I am usually humble. What Shade did was what no one else could, and that's what makes him so famous, so different, and for that we respect him even more than our own elders. We all wish Shade could be with us now, to inspire us further, but what he has done is already enough to encourage us to be more like him – brave, willing, and absolutely fearless. But let me tell you all: even heroes are afraid sometimes." Cassiel bowed his head and flew up to perch on the cavern ceiling within the crowd.
Chinook nudged Griffin.
"I'll go." Griffin smiled in comfort, even if the nervousness still tugged at him. Chinook flew and landed in the middle. He lifted his head and put on the most serious face he could muster.
"When I was young, I pushed Shade around. I called him a 'runt.' I did nearly all the things a bully could do, but I was a newborn, and I didn't know any better. I thought Shade was just a weak little bat who couldn't accomplish anything. Those thoughts gradually changed after he made that bet with me – the bet that started his revolutionary journey. He bet me to see the sun with him, just once. I was taken back at first, but I immediately accepted this, thinking to myself that a runt like him could not ever beat me in any kind of bet, but inside I was afraid – Shade Silverwing made me truly afraid. Even a bully like me could not stand to break the law, but my hot-headedness pushed me forward.
Well, we perched on that lone tree on the hill – a perfect spot to put an eye on the rising sun. While it rose over the horizon, my heart felt like it would jump out my throat in just a matter of seconds – I was so afraid that I quit and flew off like a pathetic little girl with no sense of bravery. Shade saw the sun though, and he jeopardized our colony enough for the owls to soon close the skies. I was so angry at him for this, but at the same time I respected him and I knew that I did something wrong as well. That's when I learned to befriend the runt, and to know that I should never underestimate someone again. My son is a grown bat now, and I have taught him not be like me. I have taught him to appreciate anyone, no matter how short, stupid, or pathetic they are. I have taught him to encourage others, just as Shade had done with his bravery.
Shade became like a brother to me when my parents died – eventually we did become somewhat like actual brothers. Now that he is dead, it weighs heavily on my heart, and I cannot help but to feel terrible about it, but I try to realize just what he had done to die so unexpectedly, and I feel better to know it. When he died, it was like a piece of my heart was ripped out, but it can be healed – it can be healed by recognition and meditation. I can move on, knowing about what Shade has done for me, no, for the entire race of bats – even the dreaded Vampyrum. Shade Silverwing, we will all miss you dearly." Chinook lit from the ground and perched onto the ceiling, next to a bat just as tall as him and with some of his features. Griffin noticed that it was his son.
It was his turn, and he felt completely immobile with fright. He felt alone, standing there, and he knew that he should not have to act like a statue for long. He had to force himself to walk up to the center of the cavern. He slowly lifted his head and looked at the waiting crowd. Some bats were whispering to each other anxiously.
"My – my dad was a mark of inspiration for me. He – he was someone I could look up to when I was depressed or feeling hopeless. After all the stories I heard of him when I was just a newborn, I was so excited to see him for the first time in my life. I was actually so proud to have a hero as a father, but I knew that I was nothing like him. I was weak, tenderhearted, and so reckless. I was often discouraged by this, and was actually ashamed to even be alive. I wished I was more like my father – every day of my life.
I've told my story about the Underworld before, and all the horrible things I had to go through. The thing that matters most to me is that I made it at the end. I doubted that I was brave, but my dad reminded me that I was brave enough to go through things that I was afraid of. 'Being scared and doing it anyway' is what he told me before he died the first time. He gave his own life so that Luna and I could live again, and that was something that required so much love to do. My father truly is a bat with a spirit that no other bat has ever witnessed before. I may not live up to the reputation of my dad, but I will remember until my death what he has done, and I'm happy enough to know it." Griffin expected himself to say way less, but he was surprised that he had actually said way more than he needed to. A sudden rustle of wings filled the entire cavern, and Griffin felt hot, flattered by the applause.
"Well, you've accomplished something, huh?" Griffin thought to himself. "Next time, don't doubt yourself so much!"
Throughout the rest of the night, the males did the same routine that they ever did – hunt and rest in the cavern. Griffin, Cassiel, and Chinook hunted together and when they had filled their stomachs, they perched on their tree by the sea, staring out into the stars in meditation.
"You did good, Griffin." Cassiel said, breaking up the silence. Chinook nodded from beside him.
"What he said!"
"Nah, it's nothing." Griffin said, laughing.
"I have a question though." Cassiel said, causing Griffin and Chinook to fix their eyes on him. "Did you mean what you said last? About you being 'happy enough to know' what Shade had done before his death?"
"I guess not." Griffin said admittedly. Chinook faltered a bit.
"W – wait, what does that mean?"
"I'm not entirely happy that my dad is gone away from this world. I want him here with me, and I don't know what can cure this urge." Chinook coughed.
"Perhaps time will sooth those feelings." Cassiel said with an assuring tone. Griffin tried to smile.
"I hope so, grandfather."
