Griffin Tale
Chapter 6
Hero or Zero
The next day, at the Drago Wash, Yugi was telling his story for the twentieth time. A huge crowd had gathered. Flashbulbs popped as photographers ran in to get pictures. Mhairi, Yami, Mai and the others stood nearby. They were so proud of Yugi. And Yugi? Well, he was having the time of his life.
"Hey, Yugi!" cried a reporter. "How big was the griffin?"
"Oh, about seventy – five or a hundred feet long." Yugi said casually.
"What happened next?" another reporter called, jotting down notes.
"Well, he's flying at me, right?" Yugi said. "With teeth like razors."
"Whoa, like razors?" Emily gasped, amazed.
"Awesome!" Mokuba said, impressed.
"And he came at me with razor – sharp claws." Yugi continued, loving all the attention. "Dripping fangs and burning eyes. And I was thinking, you think you're gonna make a meal outta me? I don't think so!"
"Oh, yeah!" Joey cheered. "You the man, Yug!" He gave his friend a thumbs up.
"Yeah, you got guts!" Tristan chimed in.
"Hey, do the muscle thing!" Mhairi urged him, pointing at her arm.
"Oh, right!" Yugi nodded. "So I told that guy, I pointed like this, you see this guy-" Yugi pointed to his right arm. "Well, he's got a brother! And he lives right over here!" Yugi flexed his left arm. "And I think it's time for a little..."
Everyone chimed in, "Family reunion!"
The crowd went wild. Yugi looked around with a huge smile on his face. He had never felt so appreciated before. Joey and the other guys pounced on Yugi and gave him noogies while Mhairi and the other girls smothered him in tight hugs.
Yami took his younger brother into his arms, "Yugi, we're so proud of you."
Mai wrapped her arms around her two younger brothers, "Mom and dad would be so proud of you."
Yugi's eyes glowed with happiness. His brother and sister were proud of him. Yugi felt a great sense of love fill his heart.
"That's what happened." Ernie said, nodding to a camera.
"Excuse me..." said a voice.
"We was right there." Bernie agreed.
"Move it!" Katie Current shouted.
"Sorry, sorry!" Ernie said as she shoved past him and Bernie.
"She seems so nice on TV." he muttered to Bernie.
"Yugi," she said sweetly, sticking her microphone in his face and shoving the others away. "As the first person in history to ever take on a griffin and win, tell me, does this mean you're now protector of the city, new sheriff in town, the big kahuna?"
"Katie, I'm gonna keep it real." Yugi said modestly. His eyes narrowed, "Any griffin tries to mess in Yugitown is goin' down!"
The crowd screamed. Mhairi beamed. Yami and Mai looked on with pride. Joey and the others cheered out Yugi's name. Katie touched up her lipstick.
Yugi just stood there, drinking in the adulation. It had happened. He was finally a somebody. He was going all the way to the top.
Right in front of the Jumbotron in Times Square, Rebecca stopped short. The rich halibut walking behind her and carrying her packages, bumped into her. Rebecca didn't even notice, she was too busy staring up at the fifty – foot picture of Yugi. "Hmmm!" Rebecca stood there for a moment, lost in thought. "Yugi?"
She turned to the halibut. "You know, this isn't gonna work out." she told him sweetly, grabbing the packages. "But hey! There are plently of fish in the sea!"
"What did I do?" the halibut asked pathetically.
But Rebecca had already gone.
Back at the Drago Wash, reporters were still shouting questions at Yugi.
"Okay, okay!" Sykes walked up to his side. "Get outta here, you vultures! Any further questions will be fielded by me."
"And you are?" Katie asked.
"I'm his manager." he replied. "Sykes, with a 'y'."
Yugi looked over at Sykes. He arched an eyebrow. His manager? "Uh, would you excuse us for a moment please?" Yugi said to the crowd. He grabbed Sykes and pulled him aside, "My manager?"
"Kid, you're a superstar!" Sykes positively gushed. "We're gonna make a fortune! Just let me handle it."
"What about the five G's?" Yugi asked suspiciously.
"Forget the five G's!" Sykes said expansively whilst throwing his arm around Yugi's shoulder. "From now on, we're partners."
Yugi slipped out from under Sykes arm, "So what exactly are we talking about here?"
Sykes did some calculations, "I'm thinkin'...what? Nighty – ten split?"
Yugi was surprised, "That's actually really quite generous."
"You're the ten." Sykes said quickly. "I take my ninety off the top."
Yugi shook his head, "I don't think so!"
"Talk to me." Sykes said fawningly.
"You get fifteen-" Yugi began.
"Seventy!" Sykes countered.
"Twenty!"
"Seventy – five!"
"Sykes!" Yugi held up a hand. "You going the wrong way."
The young teenager and old bird creature looked at one another. "Fifty – fifty!" they said in unison.
"You happy?" Sykes asked.
"No." Yugi replied. "You happy?"
"No." Sykes said.
"Deal." they said in unison again. They shook hands. Then they turned back to the crowd.
"My manager and I are now prepared to take your questions." Yugi announced.
"Yugi," Katie asked. "Are you going to continue to work at the Drago Wash?"
Yugi smiled, "Please, I barely work here now."
The crowd bust out laughing. Yugi laughed along too. He couldn't believe that everyone was laughing along to his joke. No one had ever done that before. This was all very new to Yugi. He could get used to this.
"Hah! Keep it up, kid." Sykes pounded him on the back. "You're slaying 'em!"
"No!" Katie said. "He's slaying GRIFFINS!"
"Hey, hey!" Sykes said. "That's good. I like that. Yugi – the Griffinslayer!"
"Whoa, a Griffinslayer!" the shorties said in awe.
The crowd cheered and more flashbulbs popped. "Yugi! Yugi! Yugi!" the crowd chanted. Joey and Seto picked Yugi up and hosted him up onto they're shoulders.
Yugi grinned and posed for the cameras. At long last, his dream had come true. He was now a sombody. Things could only get better.
"You heard it here first, folks!" Katie Current announced on the Jumbotron. "Any griffin tries to mess around here it's his funeral."
The crowd went wild.
The crowd at Bruce's funeral was far more solemn. Slowly, six griffins carried Bruce's casket to the hole. Lino and his wife watched, ashen – faced.
As the griffins tilted the casket over, Bruce's wrapped body slid quietly out.
Lino watched as it slumped down into the hole and as the other griffins began to bury it. Bruce was gone. Harry was gone...and no one knew where to. Lino would have his revenge.
Later, at the wake, Don Feinberg was singing a farewell song in honour of the dear departed. Don Feinberg was an ancient tiger griffin. He had just the head and wings of a eagle, but the rest of his body was that of a tiger's.
He had a beautiful orange and black striped coat, and brown and golden coloured feathers. But he was slightly greyish on his body and around the feathers on his head due to old age. He had sharp ice-blue eyes, a razor sharp beak and four razor sharp black claws on all four of his paws. He loved to sing. And since he was old and respected, no one had the nerve to tell him to shut up.
"I could fly higher than an eagle!" he crooned. "If you are the wind beneath my wings!" he coughed as he finished his song. "Bruce, we'll miss you." he said, raising his glass.
The other griffins raised they're glasses, "To Bruce."
Lino sat in a comfortable chair at the far end of the room. He sat slightly slumped in his chair, sighing and rubbing his temples from time to time. Behind him floated Luca, his Amphithere Dragon lieutenant.
Luca looked like a cross between a dragon and a pheonix. He had no legs or arms and bluish – green scaly skin and feathers. He had a small feathery mane on his head, small feathers on his back, long feathers on the end of his whip – like tail, huge feathery wings, sharp ambre – brown eyes and small sharp fangs. Much like Ernie and Bernie, Luca didn't have much brain power, but he was slightly smarter than them.
Giuseppe the Hippogriff walked up to pay his respects. Giuseppe had just the front half of a eagle, but the rest of his body was that of a horse's.
He had a beautiful white and grey spotted coat, and silver - grey coloured feathers. But he had a long flowing silvery - white tail. He had sharp dark-green eyes, a razor sharp beak and razor sharp black claws on his talons.
"It's a terrible thing, Don Lino." he said, bowing his head. "Everybody loved Bruce. May whoever did this die a thousand deaths. May his stinkin', maggot – covered corpse rot in the fiery depths of hell."
Lino nodded, "Thank you for you're kind thoughts, Giuseppe."
The Hippogriff nodded and kissed Lino's paw. "Oh!" Giuseppe added. "May Harry be found safe and sound, too. Hope he's okay." then he left.
"Oh, Harry!" Lino groaned.
Luca patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, boss."
Lino shook his head. "I said some terrible things to him." he said. "We gotta find him."
"We're searching everywhere." Luca told him, as he made the griffin some tea. "Forget about it. He'll turn up."
"What's wrong with that kid? Why's he gotta be so different?" Lino moaned. "Bruce...god rest his soul, he was perfect. Perfect!"
Outside, Harry, who'd been peaking in at the window, heard what his father said. A tear fell from his eye. He'd never be able to go home now. He turned and flew away.
Back inside, Mrs Lino sat at a table near her husband, sobbing, as other griffins tried to comfort her.
"Look what's happened to my family." Lino turned to Luca, "Oh Luca, who could've done this?"
Just then, Don Feinberg walked up. "Don Lino." he wheezed. "At this most difficult time, please accept my deepest condolences." He burped. "Good eats." he added, patting his stomach.
Lino nodded gravely, "Thank you, Don Feinberg. For honouring my son with you're song."
Don Feinberg leant towards Lino. "I got some news." he said. "About the guy who took out, Bruce."
Lino's eyes lit up, "Let's talk over here."
The two griffins walked over to the edge of the ballroom. Luca followed at a discreet distance.
"He came outta nowhere, this guy." Don Feinberg told him. "Calls himself the Griffinslayer." the elderly griffin made a frightening pose, but to his other side.
Lino cleared his throat. "Don, over here." he said, tapping the other griffin on the shoulder.
"Oh! The Griffinslayer." Don Feinberg repeted, posing again.
"Where do I find him?" Lino's paws clenched.
Don Feinberg burped again. "He's from Domino City – that's all we could dig up."
"Thank you." Lino said, bowing slightly to the older griffin. "Thank you."
Don Feinberg kissed Lino on both cheeks. Then he walked away. "Having requests, how about that titanic song?" he asked.
The other griffins moaned.
"Luca!" Lino snapped his paw. "Get Sykes. He knows that city better than anybody. I wanna find this guy. I wanna know everything about him. I wanna know where he lives. I wanna know where he sleeps. He pops a gill? I wann know about it."
Rage gleamed in Lino's blood – red eyes. "Who is the Griffinslayer?" he said vehemently.