Chapter Five

The trees suddenly grew thicker and it was getting harder to move without leaving a trail of broken vines and branches. These type of trees had thick branches from top to bottom and were good if you wanted privacy, not if you wanted to get through them,
Well if I have to get through, then this is the only way, she thought. She looked at her claws and hoped that no one would come across the trail she was about to make. Cutting through the vines was a tough job and after an hour of it her claws began to throb dully. In front of her was a large mass of vines that had grown tangled around some large object behind them she could just make out the crumbling walls of what used to be a city. She had finally made it to the city she was looking for.
The overgrown thing in her way got her curiosity up. Not able to pass it without finding out what it was she grabbed a clawful of the vines and tugged them down.
It was a statue made out of marble.
She pulled down more of the vines until the statue was uncovered. Again she hoped that no one would pass by this way. It would have been obvious to a child that someone had been there recently and disturbed the vegetation. Taking a step back she placed her hands on her hips and looked at the nicely sized statue in front of her.
It was of a young adult human and a small dragon standing on all fours at his side. Both were looking up towards the sky with wide, brave eyes. The human had his hand resting on the head of the dragon lovingly. Upon closer inspection Zephyr found a small plaque near the base, the words were hard to read and worn in many places but she could make out some of it.
She read it aloud. “Heros of… saved… remember their names… Corbin and…” Her voice trailed off. She leaned closer and rubbed her eyes. She knew she had to be seeing things but it looked like it said “Oscoro.” Zephyr snorted. Even if it did say Oscoro, it couldn’t be the Oscoro I know. Then again, Oscoro was the only Oscoro she had ever met.

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She made her way into the crumbling town. The forest had been steadily reclaiming what the humans had taken from it so long ago. Nature could be ruthless when it wanted something. She stopped at one house where the door had fallen inward. She stepped inside and thought about her friend. A long time ago she had heard that Oscoro wasn’t born to the mother that he has now. She wasn’t sure where he had come from but he wasn’t from The City in the Sky.
Zephyr picked up a glass that was sitting on a table and turned it in her claws. It was a solid round object. Not so good if you have claws, she thought. She went to put it back on the table and it slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground breaking into hundreds of jagged pieces. Humans. She almost felt like she should clean up the mess but looking around at all the broken objects around the room, she decided against it.
Oscoro had been living with humans. Who had told her that? She couldn’t remember but thinking back her first memories of Oscoro. He was nearly 3 years old before she had even met him. She never asked him where he had been before, she had just assumed that he was orphaned because his family had been killed in the war. It was pretty common back then. Being adopted wasn’t that common though. A young winglie would have been lucky to find a family after the war. The economy was so bad that most families couldn’t support their own kids, let alone an orphan.
The wind shifted and alerted Zephyr that someone or something was coming closer. The crumbling buildings all round here weren’t’ much more than rubble and wouldn’t offer much protection, but the house she was in was better than nothing. She dove quickly to an outside wall that was mostly standing and pressed her back to it, trying to become one with the stones and hopefully not be seen. She would fight if need be but she hoped that she wouldn’t have to.
Something large dropped from the sky and landed near the wall she was hiding behind. She caught her breath and listened, trying to make out if the thing could be friendly. Branches and leaves crunched heavily under the things feet as it stepped away and then back again, sniffing loudly.
What is it!? she thought and inhaled slowly.
The sniffing stopped.
Whatever had just fallen from the sky quickly leapt into the air and began beating it’s wings. The small roof that covered Zephyr’s head saved her from sight, but she couldn’t see what it was either. They were looking for her.
She hoped that they didn’t find her.

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Zephyr slid down the wall until she was sitting. The dust that she had stirred up danced in the light that shone through a window near her. Watching the dust particles she hoped that nothing else noticed the trail that she had left. It would be dark in a few hours.
Suddenly a wave of exhaustion washed over her and made her eyelids heavy. She didn’t fight much and drifted off into a light sleep filled with suited winglies chasing her as she searched for Oainix.
She didn’t find him.
Snatched out of her dreams into reality. Something was out there. It was getting closer.
Standing quietly Zephyr inched her way towards a crack in the wall. The sun was setting through the trees and Zephyr squinted her eyes trying to make out the shadows. Her nostrils flared as she picked up the same scent from earlier that day. She crawled towards the open door and stood with her back to the wall, waiting for whoever that was to cross the doorway in front of her. It wasn’t long before they made their way to the house she was hiding in and paused.
Zephyr hissed and leapt through the doorway at the dark figure who let out a grunt and easily flipped Zephyr onto her wings, falling to the ground himself. The intruder scrambled to his feet hunched low to the ground as Zephyr rolled to her stomach and flew forward at him again. This time her claws landed soundly on his shoulders and with all her force she pushed him to his back and pinned him to the ground. A low growl came from her throat as she leaned forward in the semi-darkness.
“Zephyr!”
She stopped and looked confused at the winglie pinned to the ground. “Oscoro? Is that really you?”
He grinned sheepishly and said, “Who else would let you beat them like that?”
Zephyr ignored his last comment and leaned forward wrapping her arms around her old friend whispering his name. She lost the last bit of her control and the tears streamed down her face like water.
Oscoro gently put his arms around her and whispered, “Shhh, it’s ok now. It’s gonna be alright. You are safe now, you’re with me. Shhh…” She clung to him as he sat up and wiped her tears away with one claw. “Hey, what are you doing way out here?”
“Oscoro, it’s terrible. They think that he killed the High Wolf’s son. They think he did it and now they want to find him and kill him. You can’t let them do it!” Her shoulders were shaking and she covered her face. She listened to herself and felt a little hysterical. With all that had happened she felt a lot better just having Oscoro with her. “I thought that you were one of them. I thought that they had found me. You don’t smell like yourself. I didn’t even know you.”
“Wait, wait… What? Who? Who killed the High Wolf’s son?” Oscoro put his claws on her shoulders and pulled her away from him so that he could look into her eyes.

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“They think Oainix did it. He didn’t do it! You can’t let them get him Oscoro. I know that he’s innocent. I know it.” She looked up into his eyes, pleading.
Oscoro shook his head apologetically. “I don’t mean to sound like an idiot but I still don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Zeph. Take a deep breath and then try to tell me what happened.”
Zephyr explained to him the events of the day through her tears. Oscoro sat quietly, listening to everything she said and occasionally wiping a tear from her face. She told how she went to the meeting and how she was followed by the two dragons all the way to her house, then she told him about Oainix and how he had instructed her to hide. Therefore, hiding is what she was doing.
“Oscoro, I have to wait until the sun goes down before I can meet Oainix, so that’s why I came to this old human village, to hide. I thought it would be safe here.
Oscoro nodded, his claws still on her shoulders. “Yeah, it is pretty safe here. I don’t think they will be able to find you here.”
Zephyr moved so that she was sitting beside him and asked, “How did you find me anyway?”
Oscoro shrugged and looked towards the darkening sky, “Just luck I guess. I usually come down here once or twice a month to just be on my own and think about things. It’s calming being here.”
“So it is you.”
“What ‘is’ me?”
“When I reached the entrance to this town I saw a statue of a little human and a dragon. That dragon is you, isn’t it?” Her eyes shined as the last light of the day reflected in them.
He looked back towards the entrance of the city and said, “Will you show me this statue?” Zephyr quickly got to her feet and helped pull Oscoro to his. They walked towards the statue in silence and Oscoro stopped a little short of it. Zephyr walked back up to the plaque and read off what she could make out.
“Corbin.” As he said the boy’s name he looked as if he had just remembered something. The look on his face softened and his eyes shine with an unseen light. The last time he had looked like that was the day that he became old enough to legally drink at the bars.
“Yeah, Denim and Oscoro. At least,” she paused, “I think that it says Oscoro.” Zephyr looked back at her friend, he seemed like he was about to cry. She reached out to him but then drew her claw back, unsure what she should do. “Oscoro, are you alright?”
Oscoro walked past Zephyr with his eyes fixed on the boy. He lightly touched the small dragon and then jumped up to stand next to the boy. He looked down at the pair as they gazed forever upward. He lovingly reached towards the boy and put his claw on his shoulder.

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Zephyr looked around and then back towards Oscoro. “Um, I really don’t know what’s going on here but I--.”
“It’s ok Zephyr. Even though we have been friends for a long time, there are still some things that you don’t know about me. You remember all the rumors about how I was living with a human for a while before I came to the City in the Sky?” He looked down at her as she nodded. “Well then I’d like for you to meet the human that I stayed with; Corbin. Corbin Rivers was his name. We had quite a time together. Ha!” He pointed to the west, “The sun’s down! I didn’t even notice.” Zephyr looked away to where he was pointing as he wiped a tear away.
Zephyr looked back at Oscoro. “So, do I get to hear about your ‘times’ together? Or why it is that you two have a statue at least.” She chuckled.
Oscoro jumped down and hugged Zephyr from behind. She wasn’t expecting this and it made her blush slightly. He turned her to face him and under the stars she thought she saw something in his eyes that she never saw before.
“I’ll have to tell you about it sometime, definitely. But for now, don’t you have to meet Oainix?”
She paused and her mouth opened. Then she closed it again before blurting out, “Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come with me to meet Oainix. He’s your friend right? I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind.” For some reason, she felt that she needed to keep Oscoro close to her.
Oscoro shook his head and started to say that he didn’t think it was really a good idea, but before he could get it out Zephyr grabbed his arms and pulled him closer to her, so that their faces were only inches apart. “Come with me, please.”
He looked into her eyes and sighed. “Okay. Alright, I’ll come with you.” Grinning he added, “I knew you needed a big, handsome, muscular, smart, funny-”
“OKAY!”
“You didn’t let me finish! What was I saying? Oh yeah, a cool, interesting winglie around to ‘protect’ you.”
She pushed him away and rolled her eyes. Back to the same old Oscoro.
He licked his lips and smiled, “You know it’s true. You can’t resist. You want some of this and want me to be there when you drop the bomb on ol’ Oainix.”
“Oh pa-lease! Don’t make me hurt you again!” They both laughed and walked out of the city arm in arm. Even though he could be brash, she felt more at ease when he was around.

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They made good time to the lake because the weather was so calm. There was a slight breeze coming up from the south, it held the promise of a warm rain, but not for some time. Soon though. As they came up to Zephyr’s “spot”, Oscoro’s jaw fell. As if it was timed, the moon illuminated the trees and every waxy leaf glistened like a star. There was a gentle breeze that seemed ever present over the water, making tiny little waves. Oscoro landed near the water and walked to the shore, his mouth hanging wide open still.
“You never told me about this place!”
Zephyr shrugged, “You never told me about your ‘place’, so I think we are pretty much even on that. And you might want to close your mouth unless you are trying to catch flies.” She laughed.
“Hey, want to go swimming?” Zephyr answered him by crossing her arms and turning her back to him. He ran up to her and put an arm around her shoulders. “I was just kidding.”
Oainix jumped out of the tree he was hiding in with his nostrils flared. “What is he doing here?” he asked with a growl as he walked up to Zephyr and pulled her away from him.
“Well if that isn’t a nice way to say ‘hello’.” Oscoro said as Zephyr quickly composed herself, she hadn’t been expecting him to jump out of a tree. He cautiously eyed the Graffon standing in front of him.
“I, well, we sort of ran into each other in the--”
Oscoro stepped forward and said, “I followed her when she left The City in the Sky to make sure that she was safe and wanted to come with her to make sure that she made it to you okay.”
Oainix stepped towards Oscoro and stood up to his full height. “You didn’t have to do that. I can take care of her just fine.”
Oscoro too k his challenge and stepped up to him, their chest were almost touching and if they had held their breaths in any more they would have. “Well how are you supposed to do that when you are off somewhere, hiding from the Triad?”
“You little--” he caught himself and looked at Zephyr out of the corner of his eye, “I’ve been doing just fine so far.”
Zephyr sighed and pushed her way between her friend and her fiance, shoving them apart she held them at arms length. “What has gotten into you two?” She looked from one to the other, their expressions locked in a scowl. She said to Oainix, “I asked him to come here with me. I thought that since you two have both been friends for as long as you can remember, you‘d like to explain what happened to him also.”
Oainix stepped back and shrugged. “Okay, you’re right Zeph. I’m just,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “a little edgy right now. Sorry.”

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Oscoro grinned. “No problemo, pal. I know that I could have taken you anyway.”
Oainix didn’t laugh. Zephyr looked nervously at Oscoro, if these two were going to keep acting so stupidly, they were all going to end up getting caught. Oscoro seemed to understand her look and grinned sheepishly to say that he was sorry and mimed locking his lips with a magical key that stopped all the smart-ass comments. If only it were a real key.
“Oainix, it’s safe now. They shouldn’t be able to find us here.” She moved to his side and he put his arm around her shoulders. Oscoro gritted his teeth but didn’t say anything. “Now can you tell us what’s going on?”
Only the light from the moon was shining on them but Zephyr could tell that it was hard for him to say what he wanted. She kissed his cheek lightly and he took her claws in his.
“Babe, you might want to sit down for this one.” She shot him a questioning look and he answered by explaining that it might turn out to be a long story and they might want to get comfortable.
Zephyr sat down on the soft grass and Oscoro leaned on the nearby tree where Oainix had just been hiding. Oainix put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. He turned his back to them and stood in silence for a moment to gather his thoughts and make sure that he had all the events in order then he turned back to face them. He looked at Zephyr and gave a slight smile. He looked at Oscoro and tried not to growl.
“Part of this story you already know, but I have to get all of it out. Keeping these things inside is just killing me. I have to tell someone and who better to share it with. The people who should know the whole story in the first place.” He looked at Zephyr when he said, “Just promise me that you won’t think differently of me when I tell you.”
Zephyr nodded to answer but Oainix spoke to her with a little more force this time. “I don’t think that I could do this if you didn’t love me. You have to promise me.”
Zephyr said without hesitation, “I’ll always love you. You shouldn’t ever have to worry about that.” She swung her tail in front of her and the ring caught his eye,
He smiled, “Yes. I hope you’re right.”

Woohoo! I'm on a roll ^^ Chapter six will be coming to you very soon :D