Five seconds till peace
Five seconds till peace
Wind rushes around me, the sounds of population are below me, and only the sky is above. For a griffon this would normally be an everyday thing. Flight was no extravagant feat, but today I was not flying. My talons gripped the edge of the tall building, for some reason making an attempt to keep me alive, though my mind was already decided.
I never used to think about suicide; in fact, I was against it. Had it not been for the recent series of events I wouldn't be thinking of it right now either.
I used to live a normal life; I had a job, a few close friends. I was... Mediocre. I wasn't sad, but I wasn't really happy. Then, there was that one day, that one event that was a one in a thousand.
I decided to take a walk in the forested area outside of the city. I remember what happened next clear as day. There was a rustling in the trees, starting at the top before something crashed into the bushes near the base of the tree. I had run over to it, not as much out of curiosity than out of fear that something was hurt.
I crept towards the bush, but jumped back when I saw what had landed. It was a dragon. Dragons were thought to be exiled, completely cast away, ever since they were deemed dangerous and a harm to society. I was torn; on one side the pressures of the world telling me to let it die, but then on the other the entire fibers of my being demanded that I help it. It wasn't in my nature to be cruel or hateful; spiteful or resentful. So, I picked up the unconscious baby dragon in my arms, hid him under my jacket, and ran home.
He was still out even hours after we'd gotten home. I had blankets to warm him, and food ready if he came to, but he didn't move. I stayed up all night with him, worried to death about something that I didn't even know how it might react to me. They said even a baby dragon could gut you with ease, but I persevered.
The next day I called in sick and stayed by his side until I began nodding off. My dazing was broke when I heard a noise. It was like a cough mixed with a sneeze. I leapt to my feet as he began shuddering. The dragon crawled out from the blankets and stretched out. He then looked around the room, his eyes quickly settling on me. I stepped back, but tripped on the clutter and fell on my back. I was frozen, unable to move, and the dragon jumped down and crept up my leg and onto my chest. I stared into his eyes and he glared into mine. He flicked out his tongue and I figured I was a good as food. I wasn't going to fight back, there was no way I could strike him, so I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. I felt his scaly skin on my neck, but my ears didn't hear any sounds of tearing flesh or hungered growls. Instead, they were met with the cutest sound I'd ever heard. I opened my eyes to see the darned little thing curled up at my neck, looking at me with a slight tilt to his head with what I could only describe as puppy dog eyes.
My heart melted faster than butter on a skillet. Never before had I laid eyes on something so adorable and helpless and innocent. How could such a creature be as horrible and destructive as they're made out to be? I heard his little tummy rumble and he started rubbing his head all over my neck, obviously asking for food.
It was so much fun watching him eat. He would creep up on the fruits and vegetables I'd laid out before pouncing on them, playing with it a little before eating it.
So many good memories, now nothing more of a reminder of what I'd done.
Days went by before I was able to go back to work without worrying about him being alone. Every day I came home he'd be waiting there for me, happy to see a familiar face. From then he slowly grew, and within a couple of months he was at tall as my knee and longer than I was if you counted his tail. He was extremely nimble and agile, but I felt bad that he didn't have the opportunity to fly. Sure, he'd hover around the apartment but he couldn't experience the thrill of flying sky high, the wind flying by, the thrill of freedom.
I named him Whezkur. He used to like that name...
One night, I decided, he would have the chance to fly. With my fingered crossed I waited until midnight before sneaking to the top of the building with Whezkur behind me. I leapt up into the sky and looked back, waiting for him to follow suite. Clumsily at first, he began to rise from the roof before coming up to my level. With a grin I flew higher, and he followed soon after. I took off in on direction, and he caught up quickly. We were flying, freely and unrestricted by society.
But everything has a price, and sometimes the scales of exchange are skewed.
Hours after we returned to the apartment the news was reporting a dragon sighting, and the next day there was a knocking at my door.
I answered it to find a friend of mine asking about what I knew about the dragon sighting. He bust into my living room, and when he heard a noise in my bedroom he threw open the door. Looking at him was the dragon, who wished him no harm. But that didn't matter to him. He ran out the door and I knew I had minutes before the authorities knew.
I took Whezkur and we flew to the outskirts of town into a clearing. I begged him to leave, told him he had to go or else they'd get him, but he wouldn't leave me. Soon a mob that formed in the city had found its way to us, armed with guns and tools.
The leader of the mob was whom I thought my friend, holding a shotgun. He stepped forward and demanded blood. I hugged the dragon and pleaded for them to give him a chance. He took his finger off the trigger and told me to stand up.
Reluctantly I let go of him and stood face to face with my old "friend". He said he wouldn't hurt him, because I was the one that had to kill him. I stared at him in horror as he held the shotgun out for me to grab. With tears forming in my eyes I grabbed the gun with shaky hands. I turned to the dragon, looking at me with harmless eyes. The mob shouted and yelled, demanding it be killed. Slowly I brought the barrel up to Whezkur's head, closed my eyes, and pulled the trigger.
The mob cheered, throwing their hands in the air in celebration, but I felt nothing but pain. I dropped to my knees and let go of the gun as the mob dispersed. I spent the entire night crying over my dear dragons lifeless body, now realizing what I had done. I took the one thing that really brought me true joy, and killed him because others wouldn't tolerate it. All because it was different from them they chose to make it evil, and I chose to listen.
My talons gripped the edge of the tall building, for some reason making an attempt to keep me alive, though my mind was already decided. He fell from the sky, I saved his life, and he didn't take a shot at me; when he needed me I took a shot at him, killed him in the cold, and now I don't deserve to be saved. I shift my weight, lean over the edge, and begin my fall. On my way to my death, I shed one last tear for that dragon, asking for his forgiveness with my final breath.