Lyr was doing her usual thing, lazing about. She was currently asleep in a large grassy plains. She would go further south when she felt like it. Right now she wanted to rest. Yeah, she needed to get to this Golden Kingdom and figure out how it connected to her homeland, but there was no sense in rushing. The cross-dresser laid on her back, eyes closed, slowly attempting to snooze off. Her two pets were awake and scurrying about, making sure that they weren't attacked while Lyr slept.
Lyr knew there were many nomadic horsemen riding around, looking for slaves and whatnot. Lyr wasn't about to be a slave a man again. So she usually spent her time flying, rather than being on the ground. But she had gotten sleepy while up in the air. After checking the surroundings she decided the tall grasses were the best place to hide and take a snooze.
It was a nice day, or, so Abbán thought, anyway. Being out in the middle of the plains, there was always a feeling of uneasiness, especially in the tall grass, where he knew there might be snakes or other things the small gryphon probably wouldn't want to fight.
However, he felt the day was getting the better of him, and decided it would be best, much to his disliking, to nap in the tall grass. However, as he began to fall asleep, the young gryphon noticed some rustling in the tall foliage, and that roused his curiosity.
Lyr heard the rustling sound and rolled over to get a better look. It stopped so she rolled back over onto her back, ignoring it. Lyr doubted it was anything more than a small rabbit or something. She didn't want to deal with something dangerous, right now. She just wanted to get some sleep. There would be a long flight down to the golden city. And she was almost positive she would need to make many more pit stops along the way.
"Quiet, rabbit! I'm trying to sleep!" She muttered rolling over, attempting to cover her ears so she didn't have to listen to any rustling sounds.
Abbán discovered the source of the rustling sounds, and the voice he had heard, was a man (although, he thought "he" sounded somewhat girly). Regardless, there was something that drew him closer. There was a distinct, yet sweet aroma in the air; he didn't know what it was, but it seemed to draw him closer to the sleeping figure.
Walking closer and closer, he began feeling sleepy. He wasn't sure whether it was the long way he had flown, or some other force, but regardless, he curled up right next to the sleeping figure, and drifted off to his dreams.
She wasn't sure how long or not long she had been asleep. She woke up during a rather good dream. Which didn't make her happy. She had wanted to finish the dream. She sighed, but then felt something warm next to her. At first, she thought it was one of her pets. But she looked over to see the two balls of fluff huddled up together and eating some sort of fruit. Lyr could feel herself freezing up a little bit. What could possibly be next to her? Slowly, she sat up to look down. It was fuzzy, white...wings...paws cute little face and a beak?!
"How cute! A little gryphon baby...pup? Cub?" Lyr didn't know what the correct term for a young gryphon was. But she did know it was a gryphon...or possibly a hippogriff. Nah, not a hippogriff.
Abbán was having a good dream, but, unfortunately, was woken up by something. Looking around, he turned to see the human, who seemed to think he was cute (which, he didn't mind). Although he was tired, he did feel it was necessary to correct him (or, maybe it was a her?).
"Well, actually, gryphons are called kits when they're my age." He said wearily, ruffling his feathers. He was still a little tired, and started dozing off, although it was probably more of him wanting to finish his dream than anything else.
"It's so cute!" Lyr exclaimed looking down at the dreary kit. Lyr just wanted to take the little gryphon and keep it as a pet. However, she doubted his mom or dad, wherever they were, would like that very much. Thinking on it, where were this little kit's parents?
"Where are your parents? Isn't it a bit dangerous for you being out here all alone? There are a lot of frightening things waiting to jump out and eat you in the tall grass," Lyr told the little gryphon. She had no intention of scaring him, or her. She just was a bit worried that something this small was kind of...like a dessert to some animals wandering around these grasslands.
Hearing the question this person asked really struck a nerve in Abbán. His only reply was a sad silence, one which came from being abandoned as a newborn. Finally, he just said what he felt was right.
"Some parents they were... They just upped and left me..." He said, not even shedding a tear. He hardly cried anymore when his parents were mentioned, mainly because he had none to speak of, and the only person that came close to being any sort of family was Shamgar, who had been like an older brother to him.
Lyr realized she had probably asked the wrong question when the little creature stayed quiet for so long. Oops, she hadn't meant to make the kit uncomfortable. When he finally did answer, Lyr felt a bit bad. It was such a cute little thing. How could anyone just leave it behind?
"I'm sorry. You're really all alone out here?" Lyr asked, more than a little concerned. She didn't think this little kit should be wandering around all by himself. It was dangerous. Someone could capture him? her? and make him/her do awful things. Lyr knew what humans did to magical things that wandered too far from their forest.
"Yes. I get lonely at times, but I don't mind." He replied, his heart starting to sink with all the questions. He was used to being alone, but in his heart, he was yearning for someone to bring him in, to make him part of a family. However, as he thought about it more and more, tears started welling up in his eyes, and he just broke down and cried outright, the stress of being alone so long finally catching up to him...
"Oh no!" Lyr exclaimed seeing the creature begin to cry. She hadn't meant to upset it even further. If this little thing was really all alone he would need someone to care for him. That someone could be Lyr. Yeah, she doubted she had a maternal bone in her body but she could at least try.
"It's ok. Why...why don't you....stay with me? I could always use another pet, or if you don't want to be a pet...maybe something else? A friend? My family's mostly gone too, but that's a long and tragic tale. Do you want to stay with me?" Lyr asked, feeling bad.
Abbán simply nodded. He just wanted someone he could stay with, to call family. Without warning, he gave a sad, desperate hug. He needed it. The stress had caught up to him, and he just needed a friend, or, at the very least, someone to talk to.
Lyr hugged the little creature back, feeling horrible for it. It shouldn't be left alone in this cruel, cruel world. Who knew what humans and others might do to it. Lyr continued to hug the little creature until he was ready to let go. Her other two pets were very interested in what was happening, but remained a good distance.
Abbán was comforted by the warmth of Lyr's embrace. It was a nice, long hug, and it was deeply needed. He felt himself growing sleepy again, a combination of his crying, the long, warm hug, and the ever present heavy scent of magic. So, he dozed off again in Lyr's arms, his feathery head on her shoulder.
Well this was awkward. Lyr decided it was best to let the little guy sleep. So she laid back down and decided to nap too. She made sure not to wake him up as she lay down. Poor little guy. She wondered if he even had a name. Actually, she wasn't even completely sure he was a he! This kit could very well be a girl. Lyr could ask these questions when they woke up. For now, it seemed as though they were going to get their much needed nap.
By the time Abbán awoke from his much needed nap, the sun had set, and the moon was out. Being careful not to wake his friend, he got up, and looked up at the stars. After a few minutes, he started picking out shapes formed by these little lights in the sky, seeing shapes such as a drum, a fox, even a bird! He was slightly disheartened by the fact that he didn't know what these shapes were called, but he would ask later.
Lyr finally woke up, to realize it was already dark outside. Her nap had turned into a rather long snooze. Guess this meant a night flight. Which was ok by her, but she wasn't sure how wise of an idea it was. Oh well, she'd do it and hope for the best. Lyr yawned and saw that her other two furry pets were working on making dinner. Thank the gods! She was starting to get a little hungry. She wondered how her new gryphon friend was.
"What're you up to?" She asked the little kit, noticing he was looking up at the sky.
Abbán was so captivated by the night sky he hardly noticed the question. He was busy looking at the pictures in the sky!
"What are they called? The pictures the stars make; what are they?" He asked. His childish curiosity was taking over, but, for now, it was alright. He wanted to know more about the stars, because they captivated him so much. So much so that he barely noticed dinner was being made!
That was a good question. She remembered taking classes at the palace and the teacher would talk about these things. What were they? Conste...something or other. "They're umm...constellations?! Yes, constellations. I had a teacher that taught me about them. But, I was never a very good student. You want any dinner?" she asked.
She didn't know enough about the constellations to help him out anymore. Lyr had really dozed off during those lessons.
Constellations, eh? He liked the way the word sounded, and let it run around in his head. He thought it sounded pretty, as much as the pictures in the sky.
He nodded when Lyr asked him if he wanted dinner. He was pretty hungry from flying half the day, although he hadn't noticed as much until his stomach growled when he smelled the food the two furry creatures made. He only hoped it tasted as good as it smelled!
"Come over here by the fire and have something to eat," Lyr requested of the little kit. "By the way, is there anything you would like me to call you? I'm Lyr, by the way," she told him. She smiled at the little guy, but still felt bad. But she was excited to have such a cute new pet that she could spoil. Lyr loved her pets the way most people loved treasure.
The fire was very warm, and had Abbán had no qualms with getting something to eat. While it wasn't much, just a stew of some variety, he was glad he was getting something. When Lyr had asked him what he was to be called, the thought about it for a second.
"Well, Lyr, my name is Abbán Fáelán Pádraig Mac Murchaidh Ó Raghallaigh, but most people call me Abbán." He said, spewing out his full, if not confusing name. It was the name his parents gave him, but that was about the only thing they ever did leave the poor boy with.
That was a rather long name. Lyr couldn't even process the whole name in time to remember it. She was happy when he said to just call him Abban. That would be much easier, than that whole name. It was rather pretty. However, Lyr really didn't have the patience to sit there and learn it.
"Pleased to meet you Abban. The two little furry creatures are Bugbee and Chuggles. They're my pets from home," Lyr said smiling at Abban, though not completely sure where to take the conversation. She was trying to tread lightly around touchy subjects, so she didn't upset the little creature.
Abbán looked curiously at the two furry creatures. They looked like rabbits, but, strangely, they were standing on two legs and wearing clothes. As he was watching them, they scurried off into Lyr's satchel, which didn't show any sign of the two creatures that just entered.
"How does your bag do that?" He asked, moving in for a closer look at the strange bag. It looked normal, even smelled like a normal bag, so he didn't really see what was different....
"Oh, it's a magic satchel. It can hold anything I can fit into its opening. The last time I looked inside the two of them had set up a little house for themselves. The satchel has a bunch of things in it, tents, books, magical items. Things that I just like and don't want to get rid of," Lyr told him with a grin.
It seemed Abban liked her satchel. Though, she wasn't completely sure why. Yeah it was interesting at first. But Lyr hadn't the slightest idea how the magic worked. It just did.
Abbán looked to Lyr, then the satchel, then back to Lyr as if to ask Can I go in?, not even paying attention to his unfinished dinner. This bag had captured his curiosity.
It seemed like a strange desire, to be stuffed into a bag, but he was honestly curious about the inside of the bag. A little house? Tents, books, and other assorted items? How they all fit in there, plus Bugbee and Chuggles mystified him.
Lyr was under the impression that Abban wanted to go into the bag. He was small enough to fit in through the opening. "You can go in if you want. I'm not sure how exciting it is in there, though," Lyr told him.
She certainly had no desire to go into the bag. But to her, Abban seemed very interested in the bag. So she might as well let him have some fun.
The minute Lyr said yes, Abbán was already in up to his furry rump. While he dragged himself in, he was simply amazed at the amount of things that Lyr kept in the bag! He wasn't sure whether to be impressed with this bag, or to flat out tell Lyr that she needed to do some spring cleaning!
Of course, though, neither Abbán, who was halfway in a bag, or Lyr, who was probably watching with amusement while the little gryphon stuffed himself into the magical satchel, noticed the group of thieves that was coming up until one of them said
"Hey! Give us your money!"
((OoC: Abbán's cute furry rump is still hanging out of the bag, so feel free to stuff him in there the rest of the way!))
"Lovely," Lyr said as the thieves approached.
She looked around at the items she would be leaving behind if she just took off. A few bowls. No big deal. So she grinned at the thieves.
"Sorry, but...I really can't do that," Lyr replied, picking up her satchel, while stuffing the rest of Abban's rump down into it. Quickly, her wings appeared and she took off the ground. Once she was high in the air, she made sure to turn around and stick her tongue out at the thieves. Then she continued her flight.
"What was that for?!" He asked as he was shoved in! Abbán had just been looking around in the bag, and suddenly Lyr decides to shove him in. So, peeking out of the flap, he saw the ground getting farther and farther away, and realized they were flying!
"Where are we going?" He asked, somewhat curious as to where Lyr would be taking him!
"Sorry about that. Some thieves appeared and they wanted to steal everything. I pushed you in because I didn't want you to fall out midflight. We're heading down south. I've got business to attend to," Lyr told him. Yeah, shoving him in wasn't the nicest thing to do, but it was the only option she saw. It was either that, or risk him falling out midflight. Since he was a griffin he might be able to fly.
Abbán merely nodded, and went back down in the bag. He'd had enough excitement for one day, and just wanted to relax. So, after finding a blanket amidst the many, many assorted items Lyr kept in her bag, he found a nice spot, but, before he could lay down, he quickly felt his stomach turning. Rushing up to the mouth of the bag, he quickly flew out, and hacked up his dinner. Evidently, it didn't sit well with him...
Lyr watched as the little griffin flew out and threw up everything he had eaten. Perhaps it had been too much excitement for the little guy.
"Are you all right?" Lyr asked the creature, unsure of why he had gotten sick so suddenly. Maybe the bag travel didn't agree with him? Maybe dinner didn't agree with him? Maybe he was already sick? Lyr had a multitude of theories but she couldn't really be sure. She just knew that it really wasn't good for him to be throwing up. Because now he'll be hungry again.
"Beef stew doesn't sit well with me..." He said. He wasn't sick, nor was the bag travel getting to him. It was simply the beef stew they had for dinner that had caused him to lose his lunch.
As tired as he was, Abbán managed to stay in flight long enough to explain his particular diet. He could eat poultry and fish without problems. Pork and beef were definitely of the list, as in the case of what happened that evening, it made him feel sick. With that clarified, Abbán wearily went back into the bag, and laid down to get some rest on the blanket he'd found earlier. He'd need it...
"I guess I'll have to remember that for next time," Lyr said to herself as the tiny creature went back into her bag. She wondered why the little gryphon has such a reaction to beef and pork. Well, it made no difference to her. She wondered if he could eat bread and sweets? Because she wasn't sure how much poultry she had. She supposed she could catch a few fish, though, that would no longer be an option the closer they got towards the desert.
Lyr hummed along as she flew, sometimes glancing down at the ground to see if there was anyone around. There wasn't. They were lucky the moon was full tonight. It illuminated the ground so she could see where they were going.
He wasn't sure what time it was when he woke up, or where they were, but Abbán could feel that they had gone somewhere different. Poking up out of the bag, he saw a seemingly endless expanse of sand, rock, sky. Evidently, Lyr had flown to the desert.
"Why are we in the desert? There's nothing out here!" The little gryphon asked, almost complaining! There was nothing interesting about the desert, except maybe the sand dunes, but that was it!
"I've got to find a lost kingdom. Called the Golden Kingdom. It has a connection to my family. And if...well, that's all you need to know at the moment. Don't worry. There's a place called Gold City somewhere in this wasteland. We'll be fine. Leave it all up to me," Lyr said to the little gryphon, trying to sound reassuring.
Lyr knew she was going to need to stop soon, but who knew what type of weird things lurked in this desert. She decided she would stop at a higher perch somewhere. She was starting to feel weary and really needed a rest.
Lost kingdom? What was Lyr talking about? As much as Abbán wanted to point out the city off in the distance, he didn't. He figured Lyr saw it, too. After a few minutes of watching the terrain, which got rather boring due to the monotony of the sand dunes, he eventually yawned and went back into the bag to see what Bugbee and Chuggles were doing.
Lyr decided to slower herself down onto a large rock face. She should probably rest here for a while. After all, she had been flying for many hours and the city was within eye sight. Probably only an hour or so till they arrived there. Then there was the matter of the Lost Kingdom, which was different than the Golden City.
Chuggles and Bugbee were busy attempting to organize things further in the satchel. They were trying to make another bed for Abban, because it appeared Lyr wanted to keep him. They both stopped what they were doing and twitched a little when Abban seemed to return. Did Gryphons eat their kind?
Abbán wasn't really sure why the creatures were staring at him. It wasn't like he was going to eat them; they were funny and cute. Even if he did want to eat them, they'd just make him sick, just like most other kinds of red meat. At any rate, he stopped his pondering and started looking around again at the contents of the bag. Then, something caught his eyes...