Song of the Seagulls

Chapter 25

The outsider: part 6: Burning Air

"Murph!"

The thrashing, half in half out of the hat bird was by no means docile. The avian's talons had scored his arms with long burning scratches that ran from knuckle to elbow. Red and sore, or rather nose sore from where he'd been pecked, Link knew this wasn't one of his better days.

Still trails aside, he'd managed to stuff his attacker into the oversized cap grand'ma had given him for his birthday. Beak first.

It muffled the screaming.

"Augh!"

Not that the bird had stopped howling just yet.

With a spectacular twist of its back, the bird managed to spin about and claws that had been facing harmlessly raking air wer now not so harmlessly latched onto his shirt front. Yelping in pain Link dropped his dubious prize and hopped back. A least he'd meant too, oversized wet boots didn't help his coordination any. With a grunt the capped bird smacked into the ground, splatted actually… After a few breathless moments, where Link got to sorta standing, he had the dubious pleasure of watching his assailant wiggle one wing free. Claws clicked on stone, then once one taloned foot was gripped on stone the other reached up. It was the only way to describe it. After a little bit of groping, as if testing the edges of its own mobility, the bird got to gripping the upper edge of the cap. Pushing up, it stepped back, all in one graceful motion.

Too tired to really care anymore, Link just watched the animal stand up, shake its head, and fluff its feathers with an irritated hiss. Equilibrium in place, gathered after a few deep breaths, the bird whipped its head about to spear the Outsetter with a venomous glare. Snapping its beak in an obvious threat it narrowed blood red eyes. Sure that the child was content to stay the beast clawed up and out, racing through outdoor halls into welcoming skies.

Weird, too weird. Fully standing, shaking his head, Link wandered to the arch the bird had flown out. Another landing to nowhere greeted him. Looking upm into starless skies, the boy sighed, leaned against the cold stone's curved wall. Another moment, something niggled and he bent to get his torn hat. A quick look by the chancy light showed him that its last occupant hadn't left any gifts, so he popped it back on and felt a little better.

It wouldn't do to lose his hat, grand'ma had given him. Wouldn't be right.

The familiar pounding of sea on stone coaxed him forwards a little more. A look down satiated all curiosity and caused his eyes to bug. Like black teeth from some impossible beast, stone fangs jutted from the surf, white fecks of surf foamed amongst the spaces. Swallowing hard, the boy took one step back, another…

All thoughts of looking up, looking for seagulls with his sister's telescope fled. He patted his pocket, sure it was there, and that was enough for now. He'd find a safer place to walk out, a safer edge with railing then he'd look up with the 'scope and…

And something about him buzzed. An irate hum from about his neck that caused him to hop. It was something he felt more than heard. With a yelp he pulled at the chain around his neck, feeling dumber by the moment for not having noticed it before. One tug, a little winding and the small links were about his fingers, a green stone rested in the palm of his hand.

Now, as a rule, and as a boy (and proud of it, girls were sooo boring), Link just didn't wear jewelry, so where in the Seas did this thing come fr-

Memory: A wink, Tetra's hand patting his head, teased his hair, something cool slid about his neck even as he thrashed and screamed.

And thus he'd found an answer, not the why it was humming, but the how he'd gotten it. It buzzed again, something was moving amongst the grass green thing in its discordance. Lifting it up, wondering where the specks of red had gotten in the green stone; he wondered why they looked familiar. Mouth opening, to say something like "What the?" he was spared from his own stupidity as the "what" met his shoulder and closed down with hot, hateful, claws.

Link managed one scream as it pulled him forward. Wind and heat and black beating wings ushered him along, pushed him to the edge with its black teeth and sea foamed lips. Digging his heels in, yelping a "I don't wanna!" he slipped on sea slicked stones.

That saved him, not Goddess' grace, but his own lack of…

The bird loosed its grip and fluttered off so not to get squished. Screeching bad bird words all the while. The air, honest to the Seas, the air sizzled with the rage of the monster's passing.

That did it. Rolling over on his stomach, going flat as he could –wind whispered, claws scrapped the air about his head, ripping off his hat as it passed- Link staggered to his feet. Hatless, and not caring for any lectures he might get, or would get, or whatever. He raced for a door, any door. Out or up didn't matter. In was the most important thing of all. Forgetting his sister, or why he was here, all Link wanted was away from the evil bird of death.

Surely his eyes were wide, his face fixed in a terrorized grimace. The blue pigs had nothing on this bird.

Not one single thing.

Eyes locked to the sky, the Outsetter raced down the hall, trying to divorce black bird from lightless skies, seeking the spots of ember that differentiated the two.

But he was just a boy. Not familiar with the dark, Link ran on. Terror wasn't the best teacher, not in this case. As the number of claws and gashes he picked up in his mad run up the ramp confirmed.

Terror had nothing to teach him, nothing at all.

A door, small, normal sized. No booming at all required for opening or closing. He ripped it open, hope made the knob a blur. Link pulled it open and slammed it shut almost sobbing all the while.

Beyond the barrier claws scarred wood, mad screams pounded like fists, shattering the dark, making shade shutter in fear.

And the air burned.