Chapter 33

Life as a Fox

NSW

After a long day of basking in the sun and wandering about the great canyon the Gyrfalcon's lived in. Naruto then asked "why do you all live together, I thought birds of prey were solitary" Botis nodded "and you would be right" as he circled in easy circles above Naruto lofting in the breeze so care free like a leaf.

"However" he continued "a long time ago, it got to the point where only a few of us remained, so to save our kind we decided to live in a great colony from then on, at first we were only a large flock of about thirty or so, but after a while we found survivors of our kind, they joined us and soon the flock numbered a hundred."

Sokol picked up after this "but, a hundred birds in the air is quite easy to see, so we decided to find a place that was large and safe and would protect us, a place we would call home" Sokol flew up "this is that place, our great grand wings found this place and forged from it a new utopia".

Sokol spoke "though I guess we kind of outgrew it, we have lived here for so long, pray has learned to stay away, so we have to fly further and further each day to find some". Naruto nodded "I kind of figured, but if you guys seasonally move about form place to place, the pray will have time to repopulate and maintain a steady supply."

Sokol chirped as he thought about it "that seems quite logical, why didn't we think of that?" Naruto shrugged. Gomeg limped beside him "how are you feeling old timer?" Naruto asked slyly. Gomeg growled at him "I am not quite old just yet, you over grown mutt".

Naruto playfully nipped at him and raced away knowing Gomeg couldn't catch him. Gomeg could only grumble some more about him under his breath. Sokol screeched and dive bombed at him, suddenly the entire nation seemed to follow him, their numbers blotted out the sun.

Naruto raced suddenly very afraid, to see that many birds with those long sharp claws and curved beaks, screeching at the top of their lungs, one could not think of what to do besides run. They could have easily over taken him and fell upon him, but instead they merely snapped their beaks about his head, their claws grazed his fur but drew no blood.

They herded him to a drop off, Naruto tried to turn to go the other way, but the blocked his path slowly they herded him in like a bunch of dark Shepherd's leading him to his death. Naruto clawed and grappled at the cliff edge, unsure of what to do, the cliff from the corner of his eye dropped to an unseeable bottom.

Naruto didn't think that was a good thing, his heart beat like a race horses' hooves thundering in his chest, his breath came in small rapid pants. Then he went over, the gut wrenching drop, as of his stomach was being ripped out threw his throat, the lack of having anything under his feet.

He howled, he tried to edge towards the canyon wall and claw at it, to try and get a grip with his chakra, but he was falling too fast. Yet he felt time go slow, his heart pounded with fear the adrenaline making everything seem extended longer, he could see his death upon him, yet after a few moments he no longer felt afraid.

The wind coursed about him creating a melody of whistling winds. Almost soothing to the ear, his body relaxed actually it sounded so beautiful, he looked up the way the sunlight glinted of the feathers of those above him, streaming in through their wings, unearthly and radiant, majestic to behold.

Then it his him, he would not die he would live to see this, he finally could understand how a bird feels to fly, what it was like to hold a power few could hold, to push away from the ground and be able to see the earth like a god could only see.

He gritted his teeth, he was wind that was his element, he would survive this, and he knew how. The idea popped into his head, he remembered the old Onoki how he was able to defy gravity. It was bad to try this now, winging it. Naruto could have laughed at the pun.

Naruto breathed in then out, he could create a strong enough rasengan tornado that extended to the ground before him (fast approaching by the way) Naruto breathed in then out, releasing the power from within, spinning the air both ways at the same time extending the rasengan not in a circle but in a straight line, it of course expanded form the starting point, and looked almost like a pyramid when it first began.

But he narrowed his jaw to put more strain on the stream and to narrow it, thus forming the wanted affect a Tornado, small of course instead of sucking stuff in it blew stuff away from it. Naruto could reverse the way the air molecules were moving and create one that sucked in but that would take too much work, plus his kind wanted to slow his decent to the ground.

It was going to hurt, but it wouldn't kill him, he hoped. His body got caught in an updraft, sending him upwards in the air, and greatly slowing his speed down; he almost came to a complete stop before earth's cruel gravity grabbed a hold of him once more.

But before he could continue, he was caught, painfully by a bunch of Gyrfalcon's all of them smiled down upon him. Then as one they beat upwards with their wings, their claws dug into his back and shoulders but he didn't mind at the moment.

Sokol was to his left and Boris to his right, he looked up at them "what was that for?" he asked as they set him on the ground, he then realized he was shaking, Gomeg walked up to him and began to heal his wounds. It gave Naruto an excuse to stay on the ground, he didn't think he could stand at the moment anyway, thankfully Gomeg's hands knew how to calm his nerves as well as heal.

Botis landed before him "amazing! I never saw a wolf fly before!" Naruto looked at him "well of course not! We don't have wings! We can't fly" Sokol chirred "but you did, I mean you fumbled out a bit at the beginning but you got the hang of it".

Naruto growled "never...ever do that again" The entire nations whirred "of course not silly, you just needed to have your first flight before you get your name." Naruto stared at him "what about Gomeg! You didn't force him off a cliff!" Sokol glanced at Botis "he healed one of our own, giving flight back to one of us, that is his first flight in a way".

Naruto swore and cursed a storm in his head. Once Gomeg was finished healing Naruto got to his feet, albeit shakily but he stood, and stayed standing. The elders feel before him gliding effortlessly like all birds did. "We the elders have witnessed your first flight, we have determined that you are one of us, maybe not in body, but in heart and mind, you know of the beauty that happens during flight, the divinity that was given to us, we are happy to share that with you our new wolf brother, from now on your name shall be Velke Veterne kridla, or in your tongue 'Great wind wings'.

Naruto bowed his head "I am honored oh great elders" the main elder chirred "you are quite an interesting Wolf, custom dictates that you may take one of ours to be your mate, but I think it's safe to say that there will be no mate bonding ceremony".

Naruto laughed "I think you are correct elders, although if I were of the Gyrfalcon race I do see a couple pretty feathered females here" The females about him preened, their version of blushing. Naruto laughed the elders turned to Gomeg "we also welcome in our new Badger demon brother, from this day to us you shall be known as Magna Sanitateum unguibus, or 'Great healing Talons'".

Gomeg nodded "like Velke here, I am honored" a cheer went up through the nation as they chanted "Velke!Magan!Velke!Magna!" Naruto laughed and howled, Gomeg threw his head back and did quick high pitched yips like a coyote.

All about him there was a tornado of feathers as he was surrounded with the myriads of feather colors, and light glinting off of dangerous yet majestic claws and talons. Naruto turned to Gomeg, "you know sometimes, I love my life the way it is".

Gomeg nodded knowingly "to witness something truly majestic is a once in a life time opportunity, question is, how far are you willing to go for it?" Naruto grinned "isn't that the purpose of life"? Gomeg and him laughed then howled and yipped while they were accompanied by a chorus of great screeches, for miles about the entire nation was caught up singing the ancient songs of old.

I hope you enjoyed, it was kind of cheesy but I still liked it. Remember reveiw I can't get better without some criticism.

NSW