Sharptooth flyer = Ornithocheirus

A note: Italics inside quotations indicate emphasis on words, while italics outside of quotations indicate thoughts.


Prologue, Goodbye

The island was completely quiet, save for the melody of the ebbing waves gently dribbling onto the sandy shore. To anyone else, the roaring tide might have been something to fear. But to the island's denizens, the sound of the Big Water was quite welcome. To them, the echo of the foamy water crashing onto the sound was like the presence of an old friend who had been there through thick and thin, like the relief a nesting mother felt when she came home to hear the laughter of her young ones, knowing they were alright. The presence of the Night Circle was a welcome one as well, as it's gentle glow was a sign of the arrival of a more peaceful time, during which the flyers could shun their worries and responsibilities for a while. The Night Circle could have shone anywhere, but on that specific night, it chose to cast it's light on a nest within a steep cliff laying a little ways from the shore. Nestled safely inside it were two sharptooth flyers, not even old enough to have developed proper use of their wings. One youngling slept peacefully in a carefully crafted nest of leaves and grass, but the other tossed and turned so much he slept just a few feet from his brother lest he accidentally injure him in his sleep.

Then, at the edge of his consciousness, the latter flyer heard a voice. A whisper.

"Orri." A nudge, "Orri, wake up."

Orri stirred slightly, the thick cover of sleep yet to wear off of him. Before the interruption, he had been in the middle of quite the interesting sleep story, and it took him a minute to realize he wasn't in it anymore. He grunted sleepily, blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the cave. His dark pupils briefly transformed into narrow slits, his vision taking a moment to adjust.

"Mm... papa? What-?"

"Shhh," the male brought a talon to his beak, scooping the tiny youngling into the palm of his hand, "let's talk outside. We wouldn't want to disturb your brother now, would we?"

Orri looked towards the sleeping form of his brother, who was curled up in his usual protective position. Vali could sleep through just about anything, and didn't move in the slightest. From an outsider's view, it would seem like a typical night for a typical flyer family, save for the fact that there wasn't anything typical about them at all. After Orri and Vali's mother was taken by The Great Storm less than a season ago, give or take a few cycles of the Night Circle, their father was the only family the two boys had left.

The older gray flyer brought his groggy and still confused son to a ledge just outside their nest, the night circle illuminating their faces in a cool, pale light. He assumed a more stoic expression, refusing to let his son catch onto how he truly felt.

Unfortunately, contrary to what his father wanted, young Orri picked up something he didn't quite recognize on the elder. A scent, one of uncertainty and fear, which made the youngling feel the same.

"Papa? What's going on?" he inquired curiously, surveying his surroundings, "What are we doing out here?"

"You've made me very proud, my boy," his father crooned, "Don't ever forget that. And... make sure your brother knows too. I know him and I don't exactly see eye to eye, but I'm sure he'll listen to whatever you have to say. All I ask is that you tell him that I'm proud of him."

Orri noticed the tears glistening along the corners of his father's eyes, a feeling of fear washing over him. He recoiled suddenly, like a hapless creature being backed into a corner. "Papa, I-I don't understand. Why are you acting like this...?" The question came out as a painful, choking sob.

"Listen to me, Orri," his father continued despite his son's obvious fear, "I... damn, how do I put this?" He muttered, rubbing the nape of his neck before sighing in resignation. "The reason I'm saying all this is because I have to leave Blue Haven. Tonight."

"No!" came the youngling's immediate, horrified response, "you can't! Please!"

The male didn't even make an attempt to hide his tears, as his scent already gave away exactly what he was feeling. He once again brought a claw to his beak, trying to placate the young one. If anyone, more specifically the sentinels that guarded the island during the day, were to awaken and hear them... everything would be ruined.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I really wish there was more time for me to explain all of this to you."

"But I don't understand!" Orri squeaked, his voice lowering to a quiet whimper, "Mama left us... why are you leaving us too?"

"Trust me, I don't want to." He touched his beak to that of his son's, trying to show his sincerity. But goodness, was it difficult. It was a near impossible task, coaxing his son into trusting him when he was in the process of abandoning both him and his brother.

"I'm doing this because I want what's best for you and your brother, okay?" His raspy voice quivered as he spoke, his words followed by a heavy sigh, "I'm going to find a new place. A safe place, beyond the Big Water, where we don't have to worry about The Great Storm wiping us all out. That's what your mother would have wanted for you. I know it is."

Orri felt something damp on his cheek, then felt his father's talon gently wipe his tears away. The boy hadn't been entirely convinced that he wasn't still asleep, up until now. When he felt his father's touch, he had no choice but to acknowledge the bitter reality.

"...Will you ever come back?"

"I will. I'll do everything in my power to come back for you two, and that's a promise."

That reassurance helped to ease Orri's worries, but it failed to sway him from wanting answers to the many questions that still weighed heavily on his mind.

"If you are leaving to find a safe place, then why can't you take us with you?"

His father nervously shifted his gaze towards the night sky, covered in far too many stars for him to count. Just above the horizon, he could see the faintest tint of light purple reflecting against the water. The Bright Circle would be rising soon enough. His time was running out.

"I'm afraid it's too dangerous," he explained, speaking slowly to mask the slight irritation that plagued him, "you and Vali are still very young and weak. You two barely know how to flap your own wings, let alone fly, and I don't even know what kind of dangers will be waiting for me out there. If something happened to either of you, I don't know what I'd do. But don't you worry. You'll be safe here, far safer than you could ever be with me."

He then leaned in close, his warm breath gently brushing against Orri's scales. "It will be difficult, but I know in my heart that what I'm doing is for the best."

"But papa—" Orri started, but his protests were quickly muffled as his father spoke over them.

"I have to leave now before anyone else sees me, but I promise we will meet again one day. Either in this world or the next. Do you understand me?"

Orri at first refused to meet his father's gaze, but was soon forced to look at him when he felt his beak being tilted gently upwards. "I... I understand," he finally responded, unable to tear his eyes away, even when his sobs began to hit him with full force.

"Good." The other brought his hand closer towards his beak, decreasing the distance between them so that he could give his son a parting embrace. A proper one. "You've been blessed with exceptionally strong instincts, better than any flyer I've ever seen, and I mean that. Use them, and listen to your brother. Watch out for each other."

"I will," Orri promised, sniffling while his father guided him back to the safety of their sleeping area, offering a pleased nod at his son's vow.

With a heavy heart, the lone flyer then took to the skies. He soared past the Big Water, engaged in a battle of wills with the unrelenting waves that were equipped with a mind of their own, the violent current threatening to throw his fragile body against the rocks. It was a battle he'd barely managed to win. Once he had though, he didn't dare to look back. He feared that if he did, he wouldn't be able to fight the urge to return and all would be lost.

Orri watched his only remaining parent disappear into the night, his form blending in perfectly with the night sky as if he had never truly been there at all. While the fact remained that his young son would eventually forget this moment before long, the constant and gentle lull of the Big Water served as a reminder that there was someone out there who would never forget.


Yeahhhh I realize this isn't Across The Seasons, but it is another OC centric story! I've unfortunately seemed to hit a bit of a roadblock with ATS and where I should go with the next chapter, which is why I've set that aside for now. But this is another story I've had in the works for a bit, only my perfectionist self never really deemed it good enough to publish up until now. I'm also working on this in hopes that I'll be writing a story with more planning and world-building than my previous works. This is yet another sharptooth narrative of course, but with flyers! I've never actually written many lengthy flyer-centric stories before, so I'm sure it'll be interesting! Still, in any case, I hope you all enjoy this tale of love, survival and adventure. I hope to see you all soon in the next update. :)

-Jassy