Chapter 8

An Unlikely Friend

The outskirts of the city were quiet and deserted. Not a sound was to be heard and not a person or creature was in sight. Apart from the calls of the two great Headfeathered Griffins that were flying around the edge of a corn field.

"Yo, Harry!" one of the griffins called. "Harry! Where the heck are you?"

"Oh, Harrrryyy!" the other head feathered griffin called. "Where the heck is he? HARRRYYYY!"

"Hey!" the first one hissed, swatting the other upon his head. "What are you doin'! There's a griffinslayer out here. You wanna be next?"

"Oh yeah." The second griffin looked around quickly. "Harrrrryyyyy...Harrrrryyyy," he said in a hushed scream.

The other griffin gave him a shove and they flew off.

In the corn crops, Yugi was desperatly praying that the griffins wouldn't find him. As he heard the sound of they're beating wings fade into the distance. Peeking out from the crops, Yugi could see the griffins flying off into the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief, "That was close."

"Too close." a voice said behind him.

Yugi froze for a second then slowly turned. And there, not inches from him, was a-

"Don't panic." the griffin said gently.

"AHHHHHH!" Yugi screeched.

"Shhhhh!" The griffin grabbed Yugi and slapped a paw over his mouth. "Hey, hey, take it easy!"

But Yugi wasn't taking it easy. He screamed against the paw that muffled his cries of help. He kicked, thrashed and scratched the creature that held him, but the great griffin was much stronger than the young boy.

"Shhh, shhh!" the griffin whispered. Trying to make Yugi calm down.

The griffin backed into the corn crops and looked worriedly around. Finally, he took his paw away from Yugi's mouth. "It's okay, we're safe." he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Yugi stared at him. Somehow he felt he knew this griffin from somewhere. He looked at the giant creatures golden coloured fur and the blue, green and yellow feathers upon his head. Yugi then stared into the griffin's golden – yellow eyes. They were sharp, but had a warm and gentle feel to them and had absolutely no signs of hatred or anger in them. He suddenly realised who this griffin was.

"Harry?" he asked. "Is that you?"

Harry smiled, "Yeah, it's me."

Yugi returned the smile, happy that he had met a friendly face. He reached out a hand and gently stroked the feathers upon the griffin's head. Harry seemed to enjoy this as he cooed slightly.

But this tender moment of friendship was short lived as a gust of wind blew over the crops, making them rustle and sway. Harry jumped and shrieked, "AHH, WHAT WAS THAT?" He held Yugi a little too tightly.

Yugi choked as Harry's strength suffocated him. "Hello, I can't breath!"

"Oh, sorry." Harry gently placed Yugi down.

"What is with you, man?" he hissed. "You nearly choked me to death!"

Harry just looked around quickly. "Could you please keep it down!" he whispered. "He could be anywhere!" There was fear and panic in his eyes.

Yugi began to feel a little uneasy at seeing the look in Harry's eyes. "Who?" he whispered.

"Shh!" Harry again put his paw over Yugi's mouth. "The griffinslayer."

A slight chuckle escaped Yugi's lips. He found it quite funny that the griffins were so terrified of him. But just because the others were afraid of him it didn't mean that Harry had to be. "There's no griffinslayer out here." he smiled.

Harry just laughed sarcastically. "Yes, there is!"

Yugi mimicked Harry's laugh. "No there isn't!" he said. "Trust me on this one!"

But Harry was scared to his wits. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN!" He cried hysterically while looking around frantically. "THIS IS NO TIME TO START ACTING CRAZY!"

"Hey, you're the one acting crazy, crazy!" Yugi snapped.

"I'm sorry." Harry said, taking in a deep breath. "I haven't been myself since the uh...the uh..." He put his paw to his peak. "Oh no...don't cry..." He thought, turning away from the young boy as his eyes began to fill with tears.

But Yugi could plainly tell that Harry was crying as he watched his large ears droop and his bottom lip tremble.

"Oh nooo!" The young griffin collapsed on a soft patch of flowers, crying his heart out. Tears streamed down his face, soaking his furry cheeks.

Amethyst eyes watched with sympathy as the great creature mourned over his brother's death. Yugi felt incredibly sorry for Harry. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost his own brother. Yami meant so much to Yugi. He was like the father that he never had. Yugi didn't even know what he would do if he lost Mai either. He loved her very much. In many ways, she reminded him of his mother.

Yugi slowly approached Harry and placed a gentle hand upon his large head. "Hey, hey, hey, it's alright. Shh, it's okay." Yugi said, trying to calm the big griffin down.

"It's my fault...kinda...not really...but still...my brother..." Harry sobbed. He nuzzled his head closer to the small boy.

Yugi was a little surprised by Harry's action. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Harry as best he could. He rested his head against the giant griffin's and stroked him.

They stayed like that for sometime. Yugi doing his best to comfort the sobbing griffin and the great creature nuzzling against the boy like a giant winged kitten. Though they'd never admit it, both felt slightly contented at the others closeness. Soon Harry began to calm down.

"It's okay." Yugi stroked his head. "Shh! Hey, now don't cry. Every little thing's gonna be all right." he sang, trying to comfort the griffin.

Harry looked at Yugi hopefully, "You think?"

"Yeah, sure." Yugi paused. It was getting late and everyone was probably getting worried. Besides, if he was the griffinslayer he couldn't be seen out here trying to comfort a broken hearted griffin.

Yugi backed away from Harry as the giant creature stood up, "So, look, um...I'm gonna take off...and you should just go home, okay?"

Harry nodded, "Okay."

Yugi started walking away, "All right. Maybe I'll see you again sometime." With that, Yugi headed back to the city, passing the old bridge. "Poor guy. I don't know what I would do if I lost Yami or Mai." he was thinking, when someone grabbed onto his waist.

"Hey!" Yugi twisted around to see Harry hanging on for dear life. "What's wrong?"

"There is no home for me anymore." Harry sobbed, tightening his grip without realising it. "Don't you understand that?"

Yugi tried to squirm out of Harry's grasp, "You're too big to be grabbing onto me like this."

"Sorry." Harry placed Yugi down. "Please take me home with you." He looked at the boy with pleading eyes.

"What?" Yugi stared at the griffin as if he was insane.

"You won't even notice I'm there." Harry covered his eyes with his paws, as if pretending that he wasn't really there. "I'm, like, the invisible griffin!" He uncovered his eyes to see a very unhappy Yugi.

Yugi frowned at Harry, there was no way he could hide a griffin in his apartment with his brother and sister around. Especially not now since he was now the rich and famous griffinslayer. "Are you CRAZY!" he cried.

Tears started to well up in Harry's eyes, "PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Yugi's eyes softened as he watched Harry. He felt a slight pain of guilt in his heart. Yugi just didn't have the nerve to leave Harry out here by himself. "Am I really that soft hearted?" he thought. What was he going to do with this crazy griffin?

He reached up and gently stroked Harry's head while wiping his tears away. "Hey, hey. Shhh!" he cooed softly. "It's alright. Shh!"

Harry stopped crying at feeling the gentle touch.

"Yo!" a voice said from under the bridge. "Put you're hands on the wall where I can see em'"

Yugi shoved Harry's back against the wall and jumped backwards against it himself. He peered around the corner. A few feet over, he spotted one of the little kids had his hands up against a wall while the other two were standing behind him, giggling.

Yugi smiled. It was only the Shorties. "Probably doing something they shouldn't be." he thought, breathing a sigh of relief. He knew how to handle them. "Hey, Shorties!" he said, walking out to meet them.

"Yugi!" they said, giggling and pushing each other playfully.

"What are you all doing out here?" Yugi asked, drawing them further away from where Harry was hiding.

"Check it out!" one said, pointing at the wall.

Yugi glanced up. There was graffiti all over the walls. It was a picture of Yugi, dressed in golden armour and carrying a laser sword, riding on the back of a huge, ferocious griffin. The words Griffinslayer rules! were everywhere. For a moment, Yugi felt proud. "Whoa – ho!" he said. "You kids have got some skills!" Then he stopped, "Hey, wait a minute! What did I tell you kids about this?"

"You kids shouldn't even be doin' this." he added as he began to shoo them away. "And besides, it's not safe to be out here at night."

"It is now, bro – bro!" said the littlest. "You're the great Griffinslayer now."

From the shadows, Harry gasped. These little kids thought that this puny teenager was the ferocious and deadly Griffinslayer. Harry said out loud, "The Griffinslayer!"

Unfortunately, the Shorties had heard him. "What was that?" one asked, looking in the direction of the sound.

Thinking quickly, Yugi coughed harshly, "Sometimes I'll be coughing for nothin'."

The Shorties seemed to believe him. "Look." Yugi said quickly. "I just, I need you off the streets, seriously. So get yourselves back home, because I know you're moms, and I just might tell them that you've been doin' bad stuff."

"Aww, Yugi!" they groaned.

The tallest out of the trio spoke up, "Hey, let's go make Mr Sykes puff up."

The other two smiled and agreed. They did as they were told, running off to cause some trouble for Sykes. "See ya, Yugi!" they waved as they ran off.

When they were gone, Yugi ran back to Harry. "Harry," he said. "Did you just see what happened?"

"Yeah, they think you're the Griffinslayer!" Harry snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. "As if!"

Yugi frowned. Never before had he ever felt so insulted! "I don't appreciate your funky tone, actually." He turned and began to walk away.

Harry raced after him. "No! Wait up! Hey!"

Yugi stopped and looked up at him.

From the look in the boy's amethyst eyes, Harry could tell that he had wounded the boy's pride. "I'm sorry, seriously. I don't want you mad at me...and I certainly don't want you to..." he snickered, "slay me."

Yugi glared at him as the griffin burst out laughing. "You're having a good time, huh? You're enjoying yourself?"

Harry tried to swallow his laughter while gasping for air. "No. It's just that...well, look at you."

"Hey!" If looks could kill then Harry's goose would be cooked as Yugi gave him a death glare. This was so insulting! True he wasn't much to look at, but that was besides the point! Yugi drew himself up to his full height. "It could happen!"

"No it couldn't." Harry said, looking cocky.

"For your information," Yugi said, "it already did. I am the Griffinslayer. Yugi Motou the Griffinslayer! That's what people have been sayin'."

Harry stopped laughing and stared at Yugi as he realised that he was being serious. "Wait a minute. You mean that you..."

"Yeah." Yugi stood tall and proudly puffed out his chest.

"When the crane..." Harry's eyes widened. "OH! YOU'RE A LIAR!"

Yugi held up his hands defensively, "Hey, I didn't lie!"

From the look in Harry's eyes, Yugi could tell that he didn't believe him. "Okay, I lied." he admitted. "But it was a little lie! Come on! Who's it gonna hurt, anyway? Anyway, I'm not explaining myself to you. You know what? Your on your own, big guy!" He walked away.

Harry's eyes narrowed, but he followed Yugi. "No problem." he said slyly, walking around Yugi in circles. "And if someone...god forbid...someone should...oh, I don't know...find out the truth about the Griffinslayer on my way back..."

Yugi stared at Harry, "You wouldn't."

"I would." Harry said, smiling slyly.

The boy and griffin stared at each other for a moment. Slowly, a small smile crossed Yugi's lips. He chuckled and shook his head. He had to admit that Harry had his ways with people. Besides, he liked this griffin.

"Come here, you big goose!" Yugi grabbed Harry's large head and gave him a noogie. "Of course you can come and stay with me."

Harry could only laugh.

Yugi began to walk back towards the city with Harry following. "But, you know. I mean, you're a griffin...and I'm the Griffinslayer. So we can't be seen together. You got it, big guy?"

Harry wagged his tail happily, like a puppy. "Gotcha little pal!"

"And another thing." Yugi added. "Don't call me little." He looked up at the city. He didn't know how he was going to get home without someone seeing him with a griffin. "The only problem is, how are we gonna get through the city without someone seeing us?"

Harry smiled, "Not a problem." He gently picked Yugi up and placed him on his back.

Yugi was surprised. "Hey, what are you..."

But Yugi didn't have time to finish his sentence as, without warning, Harry reared back and his twelve – foot wings flapped open at either side of Yugi. He had just enough time to seize the griffin around his neck before he dashed forward.

Harry ran a few strides before he leaped up and was soaring into the air. He flew up and up until he was high above the clouds.

Yugi kept his eyes shut as he held on tightly to the griffin's neck. He felt Harry's wings beat on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel like he was going to be thrown off. Harry's glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and the wind rippled through his tri – coloured hair.

Harry seemed to sense that Yugi was afraid and gently slowed his pace. "Don't be afraid, Yugi." he said gently. "I won't let you fall."

Slowly, Yugi opened his eyes. He looked down and gasped, not out of fear, but out of wonder. The vast landscape of the countryside looked so beautiful from up here. Looking up at the sky, he saw the moon and stars a lot more clearly than he ever could on the ground and they seemed so close that Yugi felt like he could just reach out and touch them.

Harry swooped in, out and around the clouds while spinning and twirling around. Yugi laughed happily, no longer afraid. He trusted Harry and he knew that the gentle griffin wouldn't let him fall.

The great griffin then did a loop – the – loop and Yugi fell freely from his back. But Yugi wasn't frightened. Harry caught the young teen with his front paws. Using one of his long claws, Harry gently tickled Yugi under his arm.

Yugi squirmed and laughed, "Hey, cut it out! Ha ha! Please, Harry knock it off! Ha ha!"

Harry did stop and flipped Yugi back up onto his back.

The two then flew over a lake. Harry flew just close enough so that one of his clawed toes on his front paws skimmed lightly across the surface. Yugi spread his arms wide, as though pretending they were wings of his own, and cried out joyfully.

Yugi grabbed onto Harry's neck quickly as the griffin flew back up into the sky. Soaring above the clouds, Yugi nuzzled his cheek against Harry's neck and stroked his head. Harry just let out a happy screech.

Riding upon Harry's back with the cool night wind whipping through his spiky hair, Yugi sighed happily. He didn't know what he had gotten himself into or how he was going to get out of it, but right now he didn't care. Because he knew only one thing.

Yugi had found a very unlikely friend in Harry.